2 7 6 After Big Game in Central Africa 



it. One goat was soon insufficient, and two became 

 necessary. When three months old the cubs were 

 already the size of a large bull-dog. They followed 

 me about everywhere, walked ahead of me on foot- 

 paths, trotted backwards and forwards as dogs do, 

 turned round to see me coming, and waited for me. 

 . . . But walking did not agree with them ; they got 

 very tired, their paws hurt them, and they hung out 

 their tongues like tired dogs. Rest and at least a 

 less agitated existence than ours would have been 

 necessary for success in rearing them. One of them 

 soon died, and I parted with the other near Lake 

 Nyassa, so as not to see it do the same. 



A few words more on the subject of the death of 

 the lioness. I have learnt from experience that the 

 shot at the neck is excellent, and preferable to any 

 other if the animal is in profile. If it presents a full 

 front, everything depends on the way in which the 

 lion holds its head ; if it is high, it is useless to fire ; 

 if it lowers it, as it often does to charge, you must 

 fire either between the two eyes, or between the two 

 shoulder-blades, which can be seen distinctly when 

 the head is lowered. If the charge has begun, wait 

 until the animal is very near. The shot at the neck 

 (four fingers' breadth behind the ears and in the 

 centre of the thickest part of the neck) I have tried 

 very often and always with the same success. There 

 is one advantage which I should like to point out to 

 those who make this shot for the first time : if you 

 hit, the lion will be killed ; if you miss, an easy thing 

 to do, because the neck is not very big at twenty 



