XI 



LIONS AGAIN 



AS TO the dangers of lion hunting it is also 

 difficult to write. There is no question that 

 a cool man, using good judgment as to just what 

 he can or cannot do, should be able to cope with lion 

 situations. The modern rifle is capable of stopping 

 the beast, provided the bullet goes to the right spot. 

 The right spot is large enough to be easy to hit, if 

 the shooter keeps cool. Our definition of a cool man 

 must comprise the elements of steady nerves under 

 super-excitement, the ability to think quickly and 

 clearly, and the mildly strategic quality of being 

 able to make the best use of awkward circumstances. 

 Such a man, barring sheer accidents, should be able 

 to hunt lions with absolute certainty for just as 

 long as he does not get careless, slipshod or over- 

 confident. Accidents — real accidents, not merely 

 unexpected happenings — are hardly to be counted. 

 They can occur in your own house. 



But to the man not temperamentally qualified, 

 lion shooting is dangerous enough. The lion, when 



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