186 THRILLING ADVENTURES IN AFRICA. 
and has secured his prey, he does not roar much that night, only 
uttering occasionally a few low moans; that is, provided no intruders 
approach him, otherwise the case would be very different. 
Lions are ever most active, daring and presuming in dark and 
stormy nights, and consequently, on such occasions, the traveler 
ought more particularly to be on his guard. I remarked a fact 
HIS MAJESTY, THE LION. 
connected with the lions’ hour of drinking peculiar to themselves : 
they seemed unwilling to visit the fountains with good moonlight. 
Thus, when the moon rose early, the lions deferred their hour of 
watering until late in the morning; and when the'moon rose late, 
they drank at a very early hour in the night. By this acute system 
many a grisly lion saved his bacon, and is now luxuriating in the 
forest of South Africa, which had otherwise fallen by the barrels 
of my gun. 
Owing to the tawny color of the coat with which nature has 
