CHAPTER IV 



MY FIRST LION 



YEAR after year it grows harder to get lions to stand. 

 Even three years ago it was more common than it is 

 now to have a lion you come on suddenly, "wait a little on 

 his departing/' taking stock, first of all, of the intruder on his 

 demesne before slinking away. That first questioning pause 

 was of course the hunter's golden opportunity, and the man 

 who was always ready, and the initiated know well not one 

 sportsman in ten belongs to that category, gathered his roses 

 while he might or rather promptly got his lion. 



Now if you see a lion in the open, and he sees you, which 

 nine out of ten times he does, before even good native eyes 

 see him, he is sure to beat a retreat, even though you may 

 be a thousand yards away. He will retreat, too, at a pace 

 that makes pursuit on foot out of the question.* And he 

 will make off in a careless cunning way, as though he was 

 going off anyway on business of his own, with which your 

 coming on the scene had nothing whatever to do. That is 

 his game. Again and again I have seen lions follow it so long 

 as they had the enemy in sight. You, of course, encouraged 

 by so slow and leisurely a departure, as soon as some slope 

 of the ground or other welcome shelter affords you the chance 

 run for all you are worth to make up distance, and full of 

 hope, if you are out of wind, panting, you raise your head 

 cautiously about the cover almost sure of a shot. Alas, no! 

 The moment you were out of sight, could you but have seen 

 him, you would have been surprised to see your quarry, 



* I mention, later, circumstances under which, even when lions see the hunter and get away they 

 can be followed up on foot, and probably one at least shot. 



Si 



