224 
THE LION. 
and he will in all probability stop to listen, con¬ 
tinuing his course, however, when the sound has 
ceased. If you do not wish to encounter him, you 
have only to lie down, when he at once becomes 
uneasy, he starts to his feet, and if he perceives 
nothing, often retreats hurriedly, and with apparent 
confusion.” 
Though during the day the lion, as a rule, re¬ 
treats at the sight of a man, yet at times he shows 
unmistakable signs of displeasure. 
“ When the beast is wroth, or pinched with 
hunger,” says Kolbein, a quaint but often truthful 
writer of the last century, “ he erects and shakes 
his mane, and thwacks his back and sides very 
briskly with his tail. When he is in this action, ’tis 
certain death to come in his way; and as he gene¬ 
rally lurks for his prey behind bushes, and travellers 
sometimes discover not the motion of his tail till 
too late, one now and then falls into his paws. 
But if the lion shakes not his mane, nor makes any 
great motion with his tail, a traveller may reckon 
upon it that he may pass safely by him.” 
t£ A showman, who was exhibiting a lion,” Kol¬ 
bein adds, “ was unexpectedly attacked by the 
animal, who seized him by the head. Whilst in the 
beast’s grasp, he called out to the bystanders, ‘ Is 
he wagging his tail?’ ‘Yes,’ some one replied. 
c Well, then,’ the unfortunate man stammered forth, 
c I’m a dead man.’ And truly enough, for after 
keeping his victim in suspense for a few seconds, 
the brute put an end to the sufferings of his 
master.” 
