216 
ON SAFARI 
The perception of this radical error in our tactics 
first dawned upon ns on meeting with a man (Mr. Hill) 
who was engaged riding down young ostriches, for the 
purpose of stocking an ostrich-farm. Lions, he told us, 
were a serious nuisance in his occupation : since almost 
daily he had run into them on the open veld. Some¬ 
times they retired peacefully; others resented being 
disturbed, and, carrying no weapon but a revolver, he 
had to quit as well as might be. This “ riding out ” 
ostriches, by the way, is about as hot a job as white 
man (originally white, since no trace of that colour 
survived on H— —) can undertake. The process of 
tiring-out a young ostrich, though scarce exceeding a 
turkey in bulk, occupies well-nigh a whole day’s hard 
riding ; and when, in addition, the ostrich-hunter has, 
perhaps twice a week, to outride a charging lion, the 
avocation may be described as strenuous. 
The incident noted points a clear clue to assuring 
success in lion-hunting during the dry season. To a 
man on foot, on such limitless veld, the chance is all 
but hopeless : to a mounted hunter that chance expands 
indefinitely. By riding far and wide each dawn—or, 
still more quickly, by sending out mounted Somalis in 
various directions—lions will, sooner or later, be descried 
returning to their diurnal lairs ; or failing that, dis¬ 
covered lying therein. Then, in either case, or however 
found, they can be “ held-up ” by skilled riding—not, it 
is true, without risk or exciting interludes during which 
hunter and hunted alternately exchange rdles. 
So soon as a lion, or lions, find that the pursuing 
horseman has the speed of them, but yet refuses to 
close; also that, in turn, they are themselves unable to 
overhaul the flying pony, they will deliberately halt, 
either lying down in the grass, or sitting on their 
haunches like so many huge dogs. They then present 
a target for the rifle ; but necessarily distant, since there 
relief. It was a near thing, and I can’t understand their funking it 
at thirty yards after charging over 300. My two gun-bearers (a 
Somali and a Makumba) both stood by and loaded for me.” 
