THE LION’S DREAD OP A RUSE. 
88 
well aware, and make their attacks accordingly. 
“ I don’t know whether it is allowable for me to 
assume,” Delegorgue goes on to remark, “ that the 
lion is really taken somewhat aback by a man thus 
suddenly altering his position, or concealing him¬ 
self, but this I can say, that on many occasions I 
have adopted the expedients named, and in no one 
instance has the beast remained on the spot. More¬ 
over, when I have unwittingly kneeled down to 
avoid the branches of trees that intercepted my 
view of the lion, couched at only a few paces dis¬ 
tance, that I might take a better aim, I have 
always seen him seized with an irresistable panic ; 
and independently of the instances to the like effect 
that have come under my personal notice, thousands 
of facts of a similar kind have been related to me by 
chasseurs older and more experienced than myself.” 
“Again, on one occasion,” said my friend, 
Frederick Green, ce a lion sprung at a woman who had 
run away from an exasperated husband’s blows and 
threats, and had lain down beside a small bush. He, 
however, fell short of his mark, and seeing she did 
not move, from dread no doubt, the coward, from fear 
of a ruse probably, dared not attack her, but kept 
walking round and round the poor creature, now 
utterly paralysed with fright. This he continued 
to do for a long time ; but at last, finding that his 
intended victim remained motionless, he took him¬ 
self off. Had the woman in this case attempted to 
stir,” my friend went on to say, fic there cannot be 
the slightest doubt her fate would instantly have 
been sealed. Indeed it is pretty well known that 
