THE LION 173 



so fortunate on this occasion as to secure both 

 the parent beasts. It is said, and I suppose 

 with good reason, that of the considerable 

 numbers of cubs annually born but few live to 

 reach maturity, the remainder falling victims to 

 a variety of infantile ailments. Here is a dis- 

 pensation of kindly Nature with which I fancy 

 few indeed will quarrel, for one's mind loses 

 itself in a wide field of harrowing conjecture as 

 to what the aspect of the country would have 

 been if, since the earliest days of this animal's 

 arrival from Asia, their young had invariably 

 survived. 



Contrary to general supposition, which has 

 probably arisen from the stories told of the 

 Indian tiger, the African man-eater is by no means 

 necessarily an aged or worn-out beast. Many 

 instances are recorded of this habit being con- 

 tracted by young and vigorous animals. I 

 remember, whilst passing through East Luabo 

 on one occasion, being surprised by the number 

 of deserted villages through which we passed at 

 a point near the southern boundary of that large 

 district. I was informed that the people had 

 abandoned them owing to the depredations of 

 lions, and that they all appeared to be man- 

 eaters. I devoted two days and two nights to 

 hunting this region, and although I heard them 

 nightly, and twice they broke in the bush in 

 front of me, I did not actually see one on this 

 occasion. 



When a lion attacks a native village, he usually 

 does so by night, when these animals are far 



