1 84 THE LAND OF THE LION 



If there is no such place, of course he must stand up and 

 shoot. All delay is dangerous. Get him before he rushes 

 in on any man or horse. Any cool shot can knock a lion 

 out, with one shot, at one hundred yards or less. No 

 living man can be sure of doing this to a rushing, charging, 

 snarling embodiment of death. He must remember that 

 he has to depend on himself and himself alone. The man 

 or men who are mounted can do little or nothing to help 

 him. A plunging horse is a poor shooting platform. 



Third, all, riding a lion, should ride not behind him but 

 to one side. You may not be too near as you gallop along, 

 but he can check his paces so much more suddenly than you 

 can, that if you, from the position you have got yourself 

 into, are obliged not to swerve your horse, but to turn him 

 round in order to gallop away, you are in extreme danger 

 of coming to grief. 



Fourth, remember there are plenty more lions in the 

 country, even if you lose the one you are after, and take 

 no needless risks. You may hunt lions on foot for months 

 and have no luck. Well mounted, and in a good country, 

 you are certain to get them. So do not ride too close. 

 Pull up at a hundred yards that distance gives you plenty 

 of time to take five or six steady shots, let the lion come any 

 way he choose; but make up your mind beforehand that 

 steady shots shall be aimed at certain spots in him, and not 

 ploughing up the ground round him, only angering him, 

 and demoralizing yourself. 



Summing up the whole matter, no man can tell what a 

 lion will do, how he will come, or whether he will come 

 at all or no. He may die as tamely as a house cat, or he 

 may make you shoot for your life. And just here is the 

 unequalled fascination a man experiences in pitting him- 

 self against the lion in East Africa. 



Let no fool persuade you to think of shooting from 

 horseback. 



