AT GRIPS WITH THE LION 77 



politics, and in everything else that really 

 matters, those who hunt dangerous game must be 

 prepared, like the Romans, to be equal to either 

 fortune. 



I had heard it said, and even had read the 

 same opinion in one of the books of that splendid 

 and experienced hunter, Frederick Selous, that 

 bites from a lion may not be felt at the time. I 

 can only say my own experience is vastly different 

 — the bites through the wrist in especial hurt like 

 the devil. 



My first impression when the lion left me was a 

 feeling that, anyhow, I was still alive, and not so 

 very much hurt either. My next thought was for 

 my rifle. The bolt being open when the lion 

 seized me, all the spare cartridges had sprung out 

 of the magazine in the shaking it got, and there 

 was blood and dust inside. Hurriedly with my 

 left hand I picked a cartridge out of my top shirt 

 pocket and shoved it in the rifle, only to find 

 I was unable to drive the bolt home through the 

 pain of my broken wrist and lack of strength. It 

 now dawned on me that with a wounded and angry 

 lion still somewhere near at hand and an unloaded 

 rifle, the sooner I got away the better. So, carry- 

 ing my rifle in my left hand, I walked to the trees 

 where the boys had been perched ; but the birds 

 had all flown, though I could hear them chattering 

 in the distance. It was on seeing the lion catch 

 me that they had all got down and cleared out. 

 Probably I must have been a bit rattled or 



