LIONS AGAIN 



Here, as can be seen, is a great source of danger to 

 a flurried or nervous beginner. He does not want 

 that lion to get an inch nearer; he fires at too long a 

 range, misses, and is killed or mauled before he can 

 reload. This happened precisely so to two young 

 friends of MacMillan. They were armed with 

 double-rifles, let them off hastily as the beast start- 

 led at them from two hundred yards, and never got 

 another chance. If they had possessed the expe- 

 rience to have waited until the lion had come within 

 fifty yards they would have had the almost certainty 

 of four barrels at close range. Though I have seen 

 a lion missed clean well inside those limits. 



From such performances are so-called lion acci- 

 dents built. During my stay in Africa I heard of 

 six white men being killed by lions, and a number of 

 others mauled. As far as possible I tried to deter- 

 mine the facts of each case. In every instance the 

 trouble followed either foolishness or loss of nerve. 

 I believe I should be quite safe in saying that from 

 identically the same circumstances any of the good 

 lion men — Tarleton, Lord Delamere, the Hills, and 

 others — would have extricated themselves unharmed. 



This does not mean that accidents may not hap- 

 pen. Rifles jam, but generally because of flurried 

 manipulation! One may unexpectedly meet the 

 lion at too close quarters; a foot may slip, or a cart- 



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