216 ON SAFARI 



Tlie perception of this radical error in our tactics 

 first dawned upon us on meeting with a man (Mr. Hill) 

 who was engaged riding down young ostriches, for the 

 purpose of stocking an ostrich-farm. Lions, he told us, 

 were a serious nuisance in his occupation : since almost 

 daily he had run into them on the open veld. Some- 

 times they retired peacefully ; others resented being 

 disturbed, and, carrying no weapon but a revolver, he 

 had to c[uit as well as might be. This "riding out" 

 ostriches, by the way, is about as hot a job as white 

 man (originally white, since no trace of that colour 



survived on H ) can undertake. The process of 



tiring-out a young ostrich, though scarce exceeding a 

 turkey in bulk, occupies well-nigh a whole day's hard 

 riding ; and when, in addition, the ostrich-hunter has, 

 perhaps twice a week, to outride a charging lion, the 

 avocation may be described as strenuous. 



The incident noted j^oints a clear clue to assuring 

 success in lion-hunting during the dry season. To a 

 man on foot, on such limitless veld, the chance is all 

 but hopeless : to a mounted hunter that chance expands 

 indefinitely. By riding far and wide each dawn — or, 

 still more cjuickly, by sending out mounted Somalis in 

 various directions — lions will, sooner or later, be descried 

 returning to their diurnal lairs ; or failing that, dis- 

 covered lying therein. Then, in either case, or however 

 found, they can be " held-up " by skilled riding — not, it 

 is true, without risk or excitins; interludes durino- which 

 hunter and hunted alternately exchange roles. 



So soon as a lion, or lions, find that the pursuing 

 horseman has the speed of them, but yet refuses to 

 close ; also that, in turn, they are themselves unable to 

 overhaul the flying pony, they will deliberately halt, 

 either lying down in the grass, or sitting on their 

 haunches like so many huge dogs. They then present 

 a target for the rifle ; but necessarily distant, since there 



relief. It was a near thing, and I can't understand their funking it 

 at thirty yards after charging over 300. My two gun-bearers (a 

 Somali and a Makumba) both stood by and loaded for me." 



