OFF FOR THE SOTIK DISTRICT. 
329 
guardianship of the kraal and its dogs. Unarmed, man is weaker 
of limb, slower of foot, and less vigilant of senses than any of the 
wild animals, and therefore is a victim that can be slain without 
much trouble. 
It is said that the taste for human flesh is often engendered by 
the thoughtless conduct of the very people who suffer from the 
'' man-eaters.'' The Kaflirs are apt to leave their slain exposed in 
the bush, “ a prey to dogs and all kinds of birds." 
THE LION BECOMES A MAN-EATER. 
The lion who passes near the spot where a dead Kafflr lies, is 
mightily pleased with the opportunity of obtaining a dinner on such 
charmingly easy terms; and being master of the situation, drives 
away hyenas, jackals, and vultures, until he has satisfied his lordly 
appetite. Having satiated himself, he retires to rest, and on awak¬ 
ing, repairs again to the site of his banquet in hope of making 
another such meal. He finds nothing but the fragments of bones, 
for the jackals and vultures have long ago consumed every morsel 
of flesh, and the hyenas have eaten the greater part of the bones. 
From that moment the lion becomes a man-eater and is a scourge 
to the neighborhood. It beseemeth the whole armed population to 
rise and destroy this pest; for as long as the man-eater lives he will 
pay constant visits to the villages, and night after night, or even day 
after day, so great is his audacity, will he carry off his victims. 
It is worthy of notice, that in all parts of the world where the 
larger felidae live, certain individuals seem to isolate themselves 
from their kind by this propensity, and distinguish themselves for 
their predilection for human flesh. 
As a general rule, the lion is no open foe. He does not come 
boldly out on the plain and give chase to his prey, for he is by no 
means swift of foot, and, as has already been mentioned, has no 
idea of running into danger without adequate cause. He can make 
tremendous leaps, and with a single blow from his terrible pav/ 
can crush any of the smaller animals. So he creeps towards his 
intended prey, availing himself of every bush and tree as a cover, 
always taking care to advance against the wind, so that the pungent 
