78 HABITS OF THE LION. 



In general the lion seizes the animal he is attacking by the 

 flank near the hind-leg, or by the throat below the jaw. It is 

 questionable whether he ever attempts to seize an animal by 

 the withers. The flank is the most common point of attack, 

 and that is the part he begins to feast on first. The native? 

 and lions are very similar in their tastes in the selection ot 

 titbits : an eland may be seen disembowelled by a lion so 

 completely that he scarcely seems cut up at 'all. The 

 bowels and fatty parts form a full meal for even the largest 

 lion. The jackal comes sniffing about, and sometimes 

 suffers for his temerity by a stroke from the lion's paw 



Limpopo, when a waterbuck started in front of us. I dismounted, and 

 was following it through the jungle, when three buffaloes got up, and, 

 after going a little distance, stood still, and the nearest bull turned round 

 and looked at me. A ball from the two-ouncer crashed into his shoulder, 

 aad they all three made off. Oswell and I followed as soon as I had re- 

 'oaded, and when we were in sight of the buffalo, and gaining on him at 

 every stride, three lions leaped on the unfortunate brute ; he bellowed 

 most lustily as he kept up a kind of running fight, but he was, of course, 

 soon overpowered and pulled down. We had a fine view of the struggle, 

 and saw the lions on their hind-legs tearing away with teeth and claws 

 in most ferocious style. We crept up within thirty yards, and, kneeling 

 down, blazed away at the lions. My rifle was a single barrel, and I had 

 no spare gun. One lion fell dead almost on the buffalo ; he had merely 

 time to turn toward us, seize a bush with his teeth, and drop dead with 

 the stick in his jaws. The second made off immediately; and the third 

 raised his head, coolly looked round for a moment, then went on tearing 

 and bitiDg at the carcass as hard as ever. We retired a short distance 

 to load, then again advanced and fired. The lion made off, but a ball 

 that he received ought to have stopped him, as it went clean through his 

 shoulder-blade. He was followed up and killed, after having charged 

 several times. Both lions were males. It is not often that one bags a 

 brace of lions and a bull-buffalo in about ten minutes. It was an exciting 

 adventure, and I shall never forget it.' 



''Such, my dear Livingstone, is the plain unvarnished account. The 

 buffalo had, of course, gone close to where the lions were lying down for 

 the day; and they, seeing him lame and bleeding, thought the opportu- 

 nity too good a one to be lost. Ever yours, 



"Feank Vakdon." 



