THE LION 179 



whilst the ray follows every movement of the 

 head. On one occasion, by the aid of this minia- 

 ture search-light, Major Statham, shooting from a 

 machan, killed either three or four full-grown lions 

 in almost as many seconds. 



Very different was the painful experience of a 

 gallant party of two who sat up — so the vouched- 

 for story goes — at Zomba in the Nyasaland 

 Protectorate some few years ago for a lion whose 

 depredations for many nights had caused con- 

 siderable annoyance and alarm. Recourse in 

 this case was had to the usually futile practice of 

 tying up a vociferous goat within easy range of 

 the tree-built platform upon which the hopeful 

 hunters ensconced themselves. It was a pleasant, 

 light night, illuminated by a fitful half-moon, and 

 after the first few hours of excited anticipation 

 the time lagged rather badly. I fancy the 

 watchers must have begun to doze ; but be this as 

 it may, an unusually strident " baa " from the ill- 

 starred bait suddenly recalled them to conscious- 

 ness. They looked out from their sheltering 

 tree, and found themselves gazing upon the lion, 

 which, close behind the frantic goat, stood re- 

 garding it with an air of amused surprise. To- 

 gether the startled hunters fired — the good old- 

 fashioned black-powder rifles speaking as one. It 

 was a still night, and, as they prudently refrained 

 from an immediate descent, several moments 

 passed before the smoke cleared away. Then 

 they saw that which they never told, but which, 

 in spite of their secrecy, was soon yelled from 

 the house-tops. No mighty savage form lay there 



