the land of footprints-第19节

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row　ravines　or　cul　de　sacs　where　the　killers　are　waiting。

At　such　times　the　man　favoured　by　the　chance　of　an　encampment　within　five　miles　or　so　can　hear　a　lion's　roar。

Otherwise　I　doubt　if　he　is　apt　often　to　get　the　full…voiced；　genuine　article。　The　peculiar　questioning　cough　of　early　evening　is　resonant　and　deep　in　vibration；　but　it　is　a　call　rather　than　a　roar。　No　lion　is　fool　enough　to　make　a　noise　when　he　is　stalking。　Then　afterward；　when　full　fed；　individuals　may　open　up　a　few　times；　but　only　a　few　times；　in　sheer　satisfaction；　apparently；　at　being　well　fed。　The　menagerie　row　at　feeding　time；　formidable　as　it　sounds　within　the　echoing　walls；　is　only　a　mild　and　gentle　hint。　But　when　seven　or　eight　lions　roar　merely　to　see　how　much　noise　they　can　make；　as　when　driving　game；　or　trying　to　stampede　your　oxen　on　a　wagon　trip；　the　effect　is　something　tremendous。　The　very　substance　of　the　ground　vibrates；　the　air　shakes。　I　can　only　compare　it　to　the　effect　of　a　very　large　deep　organ　in　a　very　small　church。　There　is　something　genuinely　awe…inspiring　about　it；　and　when　the　repeated　volleys　rumble　into　silence；　one　can　imagine　the　veldt　crouched　in　a　rigid　terror　that　shall　endure。



XI。　LIONS　AGAIN

As　to　the　dangers　of　lion　hunting　it　is　also　difficult　to　write。　There　is　no　question　that　a　cool　man；　using　good　judgment　as　to　just　what　he　can　or　cannot　do；　should　be　able　to　cope　with　lion　situations。　The　modern　rifle　is　capable　of　stopping　the　beast；　provided　the　bullet　goes　to　the　right　spot。　The　right　spot　is　large　enough　to　be　easy　to　hit；　if　the　shooter　keeps　cool。　Our　definition　of　a　cool　man　must　comprise　the　elements　of　steady　nerves　under　super…excitement；　the　ability　to　think　quickly　and　clearly；　and　the　mildly　strategic　quality　of　being　able　to　make　the　best　use　of　awkward　circumstances。　Such　a　man；　barring　sheer　accidents；　should　be　able　to　hunt　lions　with　absolute　certainty　for　just　as　long　as　he　does　not　get　careless；　slipshod　or　over…confident。　Accidents…real　accidents；　not　merely　unexpected　happenings…are　hardly　to　be　counted。　They　can　occur　in　your　own　house。

But　to　the　man　not　temperamentally　qualified；　lion　shooting　is　dangerous　enough。　The　lion；　when　he　takes　the　offensive；　intends　to　get　his　antagonist。　Having　made　up　his　mind　to　that；　he　charges　home；　generally　at　great　speed。　The　realization　that　it　is　the　man's　life　or　the　beast's　is　disconcerting。　Also　the　charging　lion　is　a　spectacle　much　more　awe…inspiring　in　reality　than　the　most　vivid　imagination　can　predict。　He　looks　very　large；　very　determined；　and　has　uttered　certain　rumbling；　blood…curdling　threats　as　to　what　he　is　going　to　do　about　it。　It　suddenly　seems　most　undesirable　to　allow　that　lion　to　come　any　closer；　not　even　an　inch！　A　hasty；　nervous　shot　misses…

An　unwounded　lion　charging　from　a　distance　is　said　to　start　rather　slowly；　and　to　increase　his　pace　only　as　he　closes。　Personally　I　have　never　been　charged　by　an　unwounded　beast；　but　I　can　testify　that　the　wounded　animal　comes　very　fast。　Cuninghame　puts　the　rate　at　about　seven　seconds　to　the　hundred　yards。　Certainly　I　should　say　that　a　man　charged　from　fifty　yards　or　so　would　have　little　chance　for　a　second　shot；　provided　he　missed　the　first。　A　hit　seemed；　in　my　experience；　to　the　animal；　by　sheer　force　of　impact；　long　enough　to　permit　me　to　throw　in　another　cartridge。　A　lioness　thus　took　four　frontal　bullets　starting　at　about　sixty　yards。　An　initial　miss　would　probably　have　permitted　her　to　close。

Here；　as　can　be　seen；　is　a　great　source　of　danger　to　a　flurried　or　nervous　beginner。　He　does　not　want　that　lion　to　get　an　inch　nearer；　he　fires　at　too　long　a　range；　misses；　and　is　killed　or　mauled　before　he　can　reload。　This　happened　precisely　so　to　two　young　friends　of　MacMillan。　They　were　armed　with　double…rifles；　let　them　off　hastily　as　the　beast　started　at　them　from　two　hundred　yards；　and　never　got　another　chance。　If　they　had　possessed　the　experience　to　have　waited　until　the　lion　had　come　within　fifty　yards　they　would　have　had　the　almost　certainty　of　four　barrels　at　close　range。　Though　I　have　seen　a　lion　missed　clean　well　inside　those　limits。

》From　such　performances　are　so…called　lion　accidents　built。　During　my　stay　in　Africa　I　heard　of　six　white　men　being　killed　by　lions；　and　a　number　of　others　mauled。　As　far　as　possible　I　tried　to　determine　the　facts　of　each　case。　In　every　instance　the　trouble　followed　either　foolishness　or　loss　of　nerve。　I　believe　I　should　be　quite　safe　in　saying　that　from　identically　the　same　circumstances　any　of　the　good　lion　men…Tarleton；　Lord　Delamere；　the　Hills；　and　others…would　have　extricated　themselves　unharmed。

This　does　not　mean　that　accidents　may　not　happen。　Rifles　jam；　but　generally　because　of　flurried　manipulation！　One　may　unexpectedly　meet　the　lion　at　too　close　quarters；　a　foot　may　slip；　or　a　cartridge　prove　defective。　So　may　one　fall　downstairs　or　bump　one's　head　in　the　dark。　Sufficient　forethought　and　alertness　and　readiness　would　go　far　in　either　case　to　prevent　bad　results。

The　wounded　beast；　of　course；　offers　the　most　interesting　problem　to　the　lion　hunter。　If　it　sees　the　hunter；　it　is　likely　to　charge　him　at　once。　If　hit　while　making　off；　however；　it　is　more　apt　to　take　cover。　Then　one　must　summon　all　his　good　sense　and　nerve　to　get　it　out。　No　rules　can　be　given　for　this；　nor　am　I　trying　to　write　a　text　book　for　lion　hunters。　Any　good　lion　hunter　knows　a　lot　more　about　it　than　I　do。　But　always　a　man　must　keep　in　mind　three　things：　that　a　lion　can　hide　in　cover　so　short　that　it　seems　to　the　novice　as　though　a　jack…rabbit　would　find　scant　concealment　there；　that　he　charges　like　lightning；　and　that　he　can　spring　about　fifteen　feet。　This　spring；　coming　unexpectedly　from　an　unseen　beast；　is　about　impossible　to　avoid。　Sheer　luck　may　land　a　fatal　shot；　but　even　then　the　lion　will　probably　do　his　damage　before　he　dies。　The　rush　from　a　short　distance　a　good　quick　shot　ought　to　be　able　to　cope　with。

Therefore　the　wise　hunter　assures　himself　of　at　least　twenty　feet…preferably　more…of　neutral　zone　all　about　him。　No　matter　how　long　it　takes；　he　determines　absolutely　that　the　lion　is　not　within　that　distance。　The　rest　is　alertness　and　quickness。

As　I　have　said；　the　amount　of　cover　necessary　to　conceal　a　lion　is　astonishingly　small。　He　can　flatten　himself　out　surprisingly；　and　his　tawny　colour　blends　so　well　with　the　brown　grasses　that　he　is　practically　invisible。　A　practised　man　does　not；　of　course；　look　for　lions　at　all。　He　is　after　unusual　small　patches；　especially　the　black　ear　tips　or　the　black　of　the　mane。　Once　guessed　at；　it　is　interesting　to　see　how　quickly　the　hitherto　unsuspected　animal　sketches　itself　out　in　the　cover。

I　should；　before　passing　on　to　another　aspect　of　the　matter；　mention　the　dangerous　poisons　carried　by　the　lion's　claws。　Often　men　have　died　from　the　most　trivial　surface　wounds。　The　grooves　of　the　claws　carry　putrefying　meat　from　the　kills。　Every　sensible　man　in　a　lion　country　carries　a　small　syringe；　and　either　permanganate　or　carbolic。　And　those　mild　little　remedies　he　uses　full　strength！

The　great　and　overwhelming　advantage　is　of　course　with　the　hunter。　He　possesses　as　deadly　a　weapon：　and　that　weapon　will　kill　at　a　distance。　This　is　proper；　I　think。　There　are　more　lions　than　hunters；　and；　from　our　point　of　view；　the　man　is　more　important　than　the　beast。　The　game　is　not　too　hazardous。　By　that　I　mean　that；　barring　sheer　accident；　a　man　is　sure　to　come　out　all　right　provided　he　does　accurately　the　right　thing。　In　other　words；　it　is　a　dangerous　game　of　skill；　but　it　does　not　possess　the　blind　danger　of　a　forest　in　a　hurricane；　say。　Furthermore；　it　is　a　game　that　no　man　need　play　unless　he　wants　to。　In　the　lion　country　he　may　go　about　his　business…daytime　business…as　though　he　were　home　at　the　farm。

Such　being　the　case；　may　I　be　pardoned　for　intruding　one　of　my　own　small　ethical　ideas　at　this　point；　with　the　full　realization　that　it　depends　upon　an　entirely　personal　point　of　view。　As　far　as　my　own　case　goes；　I　consider　it　poor　sportsmanship　ever　to　refuse　a　lion…chance　merely　because　the　advantages　are　not　all　in　my　favour。　After　all；　lion　hunting　is　on　a　different　plane　from　ordinary　shooting：　it　is　a　challenge　to　war；　a　deliberate　seeking　for　mortal　combat。　Is　it　not　just　a　little　shameful　to　pot　old　felis　leo　at　long　range；　in　the　open；　near　his　kill；　and　wherever　we　have　him　at　an　advantage…nine　times；　and　then　to　back　out　because　that　advantage　is　for　once　not　so　marked？　I　have　so　often　heard　the　phrase；　〃I　let　him　（or　them）　alone。　It　was　not　good　enough；〃　meaning　that　the　game　looked　a　little　risky。

Do　not　misunderstand。　I　am　not　advising　that　you　bull　ahead　into　the　long　grass；　or　that　alone　you　open　fire　on　a　half　dozen　lions　in　easy　range。　Kind　providence　endowed　you　with　strategy；　and　certainly　you　should　never　go　in　where　there　is　no　show　for　you　to　use　your　weapon　effectively。　But　occasionally　the　odds　will　be　against　you　and　you　will　be　called　upon　to　take　more　or　less　of　a　chance。　I　do　not　think　it　is　quite　square　to　quit　playing　merely　because　for　once　your　opponent　has　been　dealt　the　better　cards。　If　here　are　too　many　of　them　see　if　you　cannot　manoeuvre　them；　if　the　grass　is　long；　try　every　means　in