THE LION 



as black" as ink, and the bush on all sides thick and 

 almost impenetrable, with many other hungry Hons 

 awaiting a chance for a meal, they were powerless to 

 render aid, beyond firing random shots into the 

 darkness. At early dawn they ventured out, and 

 all they found of the Hottentot was some ragged 

 pieces of clothing, a few mangled remains of flesh, 

 and a boot with a foot in it. 



In Rhodesia lions still give a great deal of trouble 

 to the settlers by carrying off cattle, goats, and sheep, 

 even venturing close to Bulawayo itself. Two were 

 shot recently in Zululand, there still being a good 

 many in that country, particularly in the game pre- 

 serves. The numbers are doubtless much exagger- 

 ated, owing probably to the lions' habit of turning 

 up at the most unexpected places ; consequently the 

 same troop is frequently seen in various parts of the 

 country. One day a Government surveyor was 

 riding his bicycle down a slope when, to his utter 

 dismay, he saw a troop of lions gambolling about in 

 the roadway just ahead. He promptly ran his cycle . 

 off the track as the most expeditious manner of dis- 

 mounting, and got a severe tumble in consequence. 

 Meanwhile the lions calmly watched him, he momen- 

 tarily expecting to be entombed in those huge bodies, 

 but to his intense relief they leisurely made off and 

 away across the rugged hillside. 



On another occasion a gentleman came across a 

 troop of lions in Zululand feasting upon a zebra. 

 He thought discretion the better part of valour and 



107 



