372 CARNIVORES. 
when sixteen lions had fallen to his rifle, considers the lion a far more dangerous 
animal to encounter than any other creature in South Africa. It is true, indeed, that 
amuch greater number of casualties occur from buftalo-shooting than in lion-hunting, 
but then, as Mr. Selous is careful to observe, for every lion that has of late years 
been “bagged” in the interior of South Africa, at least fifty buffaloes have been laid 
low. As a general rule, according to the same authority, the danger is reduced to a 
minimum when hunting with dogs, as the lion’s attention is generally concentrated 
on his canine foes; but even then it sometimes happens that he will dash straight 
through them to attack the hunter. A mounted hunter, except when the movements 
of his horse are impeded by thick forest or by yielding sand, can generally escape 
when pursued, as, in the opinion of Mr. Selous, the pace of the average lion is not 
sufficient to enable him to overtake the average horse. “If, however, on foot,’ adds 
Mr. Selous, “and without dogs, though there is little danger in attacking lions in 
the first instance, yet to follow up a wounded one is very ticklish work, especially 
in long grass or thick cover, for there is probably no animal of its size in the world 
that can conceal itself behind so slight a screen, or rush upon its pursuer with such 
lightning-like rapidity.” 
Still more impressive are the words of Mr. Drummond, who says that “it 
should always be recollected, before meddling with lions, that if you do come to 
close quarters with them, death is the probable result. There are cases within my 
own knowledge,” continues this writer, “ where, single-handed and armed only with 
a spear, a native has succeeded in killing one that has sprung upon him, without 
receiving in return anything but trifling injuries; but these are only exceptions 
that prove the rule that when they strike they kill... . It is a grand sight to see 
one charge a native regiment sent out after it, as they sometimes are, springing 
over the heads of the first line right into the centre, flying about, knocking men 
down with every blow, until, a complete sieve of assegai wounds, it dies fighting.” 
Sir Samuel Baker follows suit in contrasting the dangers of the solitary hunter 
on foot engaged in lion-shooting in Africa, with tiger-shooting in India, either from 
elephants, or with a number of guns posted in secure positions. 
Writing of his experiences in Somaliland, Mr. J. D. Inverarity observes that the 
lion tries to avoid man until wounded, and it is only in exceptional cases of there 
being young ones to guard, or from astonishment at seeing the hunter so close to 
them, that they charge when being tracked. They charge with the same coughing 
roar that a tiger does, and come at great speed close to the ground, not bounding 
in the air as they are represented in pictures. Their ears are pressed close to the 
head, giving them the comical appearance of being without ears. “So large an 
animal coming at full speed against you of course knocks you off your legs. The 
claws and teeth entering the flesh do not hurt so much as you would think. The 
only really painful part of the business is the squeeze given by the jaws on the 
bone. I felt none of the dreamy stupor Livingstone describes, but, on the contrary, 
felt as usual. I adopted the course of lying quite still, which, I believe, is the best 
thing one can do, as you are quite helpless with a heavy animal on you, and they 
are inclined to make grabs at everything that moves, and the fewer bites you can 
get off with the better.” Stories of lion-hunting are legion, and if collected wouid 
form at least one goodly volume; we shall, however, refrain from quoting any, and 
