MY FIRST LION 93 



back track. These had warned their fellows in time, and 

 into the grass the whole lot plunged. 



One advantage the hunter has in such cover. It is the 

 easiest cover possible to track lions in. I had never been told 

 this, never indeed had read it or heard it, but anyone could 

 follow the trail that the band left, and at a half run we went 

 after them. This sounds far more dangerous than it 

 really was. A lioness will sometimes charge when she has 

 cubs with her. A young Englishman went home seriously 

 crippled, I fear, from Nairobi a few days ago, who was 

 mauled by an unwounded lioness. 



He and some others had been looking for her. None 

 of them knew of the cubs, and having hunted long in vain, 

 gave her up and turned home. On the way he almost 

 stepped on her, and she had him down in an instant. But 

 usually there is very little danger in following lions into 

 grass or swamp unless one is wounded, and I am inclined to 

 think, though I have only my own limited experience to fall 

 back on for proof of my theory, that large bands of lions are 

 not as dangerous as lions in two or threes. Anyway we 

 followed them in, and presently got somehow right among 

 them. I did my best to see something to shoot at, but wav- 

 ing grass or a quickly moving bit of fawny fur, offered no 

 mark in such cover. I made up my mind at the beginning 

 of my sefari life that I never, never, would shoot at danger- 

 ous game until I knew exactly where I was shooting. I am 

 very sure the rule is a good one, and much trouble would be 

 avoided if every man going after dangerous game, and hav- 

 ing his men's lives on his conscience, to say nothing of his 

 own, strictly adhered to it. There were lions on each side 

 of us, and the grass waving in front showed that there were 

 more ahead. They growled now and then all around, but 

 not one of us could locate the sound. Try as I would I could 

 get no shot. I think I made a mistake here, moved thereto 

 by the entreaties of Dooda who was rather nervous. Both 



