"^ITH FLASH-LIGHT AND RIFLE 



armed man has about as much chance Avith a lion as 

 a little mouse has in the claws of a cat." 



The amount of lying done, consciously and uncon- 

 sciously, in describing real or imaginary lion -hunts de- 

 fies refutation. The lion is neither as bad nor as pict- 

 uresque as he is often painted, and many of the evil 

 deeds, like man-stealing, imputed to him must be charged 

 against other wild beasts, the savage leopard, for in- 

 stance. 



The lion has, in art and literature, been celebrated, 

 from ancient times, as the "king of beasts." The 

 African elephant deserves this title of honor in a much 

 higher degree. 



How the lion in the wilderness behaves in the presence 

 of man depends on such a diversity of circumstances and 

 varies so with individuals that it is hard to generalize. 

 He ^^'ill, as a rule, not attack a man, Tuit when hungry 

 or when brought to bay he may charge on the instant. 

 Certain lions, old ones in particular, will, like the " man- 

 eating" tigers of India, get into the habit of deliberately 

 seeking human flesh. 



Lionesses as a rule, and especially when their whelps 

 are with them, are more ready to attack and more dan- 

 gerous than the male lions. It is always advisable to kill 

 first the lioness and then the lion ; she will attack the 

 hunter who fires at her consort. In this she behaves 

 more gallantly than he does ; the lion is less self-sacrific- 

 ing and looks out for his own skin first. 



202 



