250 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CHAP. 
Of these methods the last three are the most effec¬ 
tive, and, where it is desirable that the vicinity should 
be rid of vermin which are doing damage to stock 
or sheep, must be resorted to. There is the additional 
advantage that practically no danger attaches to any 
of these methods. The use of strychnine, unfortu¬ 
nately, almost invariably destroys the skin, by causing 
the hair to become loose, and thereby lessens its 
commercial value. The palm for sport must be 
awarded to the traditional method of the Masai and 
Nandi, who run the lion down on foot and despatch 
him with their long-bladed spears. The blades of 
these spears are often more than 3 feet long, and a 
warrior can hurl them with such force that they will 
completely transfix a lion and stand out a foot on the 
far side. Fatal accidents are far fewer than might be 
imagined. When the beast charges he is met by a 
phalanx of locked shields, and his end comes before he 
has time to do much damage. The chief danger is 
caused by the eagerness of young warriors to get the 
first spear in, and thereby to become the possessor of 
a lion’s mane head-dress, the desideratum of every 
young man. 
The most sporting methods for Europeans are 
riding down and tracking. The modus operandi of 
the former method is as follows. Having come to an 
open portion of country which is known to be the habitat 
of lions, four or five horsemen line up at the very crack 
of dawn at intervals of some 200 yards. When the 
quarry is sighted he is pursued by the nearest horseman, 
the others joining in on the flanks and attract the 
beast’s attention should he attempt to turn on his 
nearest pursuer, which is seldom the case. Except 
for the first few bounds a comparatively slow pony has 
