226 
THE LION. 
the Reverend gentleman would seem properly to 
appreciate the lion, for elsewhere he says :—“ But 
on the approach of night his courage returns, and 
that which during the day he dreads he now fear¬ 
lessly attacks. Indeed, he will not unfrequently 
seize the horse by the side of his rider, or the ox 
that is tied to the waggon, or even the faithful dog. 
Nay, he dares man himself.” 
Delegorgue, as well as Moffatt, would appear to 
entertain but a poor opinion of the lion’s courage, 
which, he thinks, is only displayed on very special 
occasions. After telling us that he has seen up¬ 
wards of fifty of those beasts, and killed many, he 
goes on to say : “ But in no instance, not even 
when badly wounded, did they show fight, but in¬ 
variably retreated. Once, indeed, when I was 
within ten paces of a lion and a lioness, and there 
was no better weapon at hand than my double- 
barreled gun, loaded with Number Five shot, I fired 
at the one as well as the other, and both forthwith 
made off, without daring to show their ire otherwise 
than by a deep growl.” 
That the actions of the lion in the day-time, 
when, to speak figuratively, he is somewhat in the 
position of a fish out of water, often look very much 
like poltroonery, cannot be denied, still, admitting 
that, as with the bravest of men, he has his 
moments de peur, there cannot be a doubt that, on 
very many occasions, actions of his, which have been 
branded as cowardly, have rather arisen from fear 
of falling into the toils than any other cause; and 
if such be really the case, it is not at all surprising 
that “ he should have made himself scarce.” 
