154 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 natives and lions are 

 very similar in their tastes in the selection of tit-bits : an eland 

 may be seen disemboweled 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 laying him dead. When gorged, the lion falls fast 

 asleep, and is then easily dispatched. Hunting a lion with dogs 

 involves very little danger as compared with hunting the Indian 

 tiger, because the dogs bring him out of cover and make him 

 stand at bay, giving the hunter plenty of time for a good deliber- 

 ate shot. 



Where game is abundant, there you may expect lions in pro- 

 portionately large numbers. They are never seen in herds, but 

 six or eight, probably one family, occasionally hunt together. One 



had reloaded, 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 biting 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 opportunity too good a one to be 

 lost. 



" Ever yours, 



" Frank Vaedon." 



