TANGANYIKA LIONS 273 



mous indifference of the lions we backed off and found 

 a big mimosa tree some distance away where, shel- 

 tered from the heat of the high blazing sun, we sat 

 and lunched. For four long happy hours we lay 

 about and talked lions. I had never seen Carl 

 Akeley so elated. He was overjoyed to think he had 

 at least proved to me lions will not molest a man if not 

 molested first. Little did I think it was the last long 

 talk I should ever have with this great man. 



"This valley has probably never been shot over," 

 he said. "Notice how sleek and well-fed these 

 fellows are. Probably they himt in packs and have 

 no trouble in getting all the food they want." He 

 paused for a moment of reflection. Then he added: 

 "They have never been whipped; no wonder they're 

 afraid of nothing on earth." 



I was out next morning at daybreak with fresh 

 film and porters ready to visit our Lion Valley again. 

 But Mrs. Akeley reported that her husband had a 

 high fever and could not go. On entering his tent I 

 could see he was a very sick man. He seemed to have 

 a presentiment he would never get well. He didn't. 



He said: "Go ahead, Martin, and play the game 

 with the lions and they will play the game with you. 

 Get all the data and the pictures you can; then tell 

 the world about it. I want the world to know how 

 unfair it is for sportsmen to slaughter large numbers 

 of lions simply to get a big pot." 



