HUNTING IN AFRICA 115 



glade. The obliging beast waited to let him get off his 

 riding animal, but when he stopped to take out "the 

 solids" (bullets covered with nickel used usually for rhino, 

 elephant, and wrongly for buffalo) and substitute "soft- 

 nose" (the ordinary expanding bullet for soft-skinned 

 game) he lost an easy lion, and it served him right. 



If you can carry your own gun do so. No matter how 

 quick your gunbearer is or how well trained, and there 

 is much in training him, no matter how steady, no matter 

 how well he knows you or obeys your orders, appreciable 

 time is lost and many a chance thrown away in taking 

 your rifle from his hands. If you have a professional 

 hunter, do not let him march in front, as they all like to do. 

 When there is no trail, or the country is unusually difficult 

 it may be necessary. But usually it is not necessary at 

 all, specially if you have had any previous experience in 

 hunting. Use his eyes, they are apt to be better than yours, 

 use his judgment of the relative size of heads, it is sure to 

 be better. But do not let him go in front. It is the front 

 rank man who gets the chance. In the pause and the 

 movement of passing, fatal notice is given to wary game. 

 If the beast is looking at you, don't crawl for an ant 

 hill or dodge behind a bush. Take your shot at once, 

 miss or kill. 



A lion or leopard seldom will let you change your 

 position once he sees you, without rapidly changing his. 

 Of course, if you are still unseen you can be, and ought 

 to be, as deliberate as you choose. The duffer hurries 

 when there is no occasion to hurry, and fumbles and 

 hesitates when the chance is an instantaneous one or no 

 chance at all. 



With the young beast, even if you have missed, reload 

 quickly and look out for another shot, lion will often give 

 it you, but be careful once he is wounded. A young three- 

 quarters grown lion has mauled many a man. 



