NORTH-EASTERN RHODESIA 83 



tions of the true African pioneer — that he 

 should be able to tell a large number of really 

 remarkable lion stories, just as the old hand in 

 the south-western portions of the United States 

 of America is not deemed of very much account 

 unless he can relate, at a moment's notice, a 

 long series of hair-raising experiences with rattle- 

 snakes. It is not for me to judge between the 

 two types — I do not know enough of the genuine 

 Arizona product. But I do know that some of 

 the lion yarns in circulation in Central Africa 

 indicate remarkably queer traits in the character 

 of the King of Beasts — little whims and ways 

 concerning which the world's greatest zoologists 

 are plunged in an ignorance profoundly dark. 

 For instance, I do not for a moment suppose 

 that Lankester or Lydekker have ever — even in 

 their wildest dreams — conceived the idea of a 

 lion sneezing himself to death. And yet Y. 

 assured me, the first night I met him, that he 

 had killed scores of lions by providing them with 

 an excuse for sneezing. Being just the least 

 little bit sceptical I ventured to ask him how 

 it was done. Y. puffed thoughtfully at his pipe 

 for a moment or two, and then — " Why," said 

 he, " it's the easiest thing in the world. You 

 just build a little arch out of jagged rocks, in 

 the middle of the bush; then you kill a zebra 

 or a buck, and put him under the arch. You 

 must be careful that the centre stone of the arch 

 is exceedingly jagged, and that the opening in 

 the pile of stones is large enough to allow a 

 lion to crawl in. After this, you throw a lot 

 of pepper all over the ' kill,' and then — well, then, 

 if there are any lions about, you're sure to get one." 

 Although I did not like to brandish my ignorance 



