The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-04-16

snarIing. L remember seeing her wnlue
teeth as she commenced another growl
she was only twenty yards away
/ but that movement was her last. A
Paradox ball on the shoulder dropped
her from our sight.
''While Elmi and 1 were thus occu-
pied we had heard several fife shots
away on our right. 1t now TRANSFERRED
| that a third lioness had also been Sc
cured by the guns who had gone off
| in that direction. All three lionesses
were dragged out of the covert by our
boys and laid in row on the grass
outside, where a scene of indescriba-
BILE excitement ensued, the niggers
dancing and jumping around the dead
beasts to an accompaniment of shrieks,
beating of tomtoms and other fear
some instruments, including biscuit
tins"
In the open the hunter continually
uses his powerful fieldglasses In seek
ing game, and at times he discovers
lion that may be approached by
means Of bush stalking-that is, by
warily stealing close enough to him to
secure a shot But to insure success
the animal must not be disturbed, and
annoying difficulties arise. The shift
ing winds and numerous small fowl
and animals that start up noisily from
underfoot serve to warn the intended
prey. By getting so that the wind
blows from the lion toward the hunter,
or nearly so, the animal does not detect
the hunters scent, but the variable
African breezes frequently put the
hunter to windward, and the lion
quickly discovers his enemy's pres
ence. Bush stalking is usually en-
ployed in antelope hunting.
Deep ravines are q favorite shelter
of lions during the rainy seasons. Out
lying rock koppies around the noun
tains of Uganda are during these sea-
sons also popular retreats. The lions
lie outside their caves by day on
shelves of rock and have two outside
beds, so that when the overpowering
midday sun makes one bed too hot
they change to the other, so chosen as
the dry season they find enough shell
ter in the grass and reed beds or
among the heavy canes. When the
lions are out of their rocky diurnal
lairs and in the open veldt pursuit of
them is greatly assisted by having
capable mounts on hand-mounts the
tsetse fly has overlooked. Lions, find
ing that they cannot catch or escape
from horsemen in the open, will
crouch, awaiting attack, and thus af-
ford a target
Veteran hunters have learned to
watch other animals during lion hunts
for indications of the latter's presence.
For instance, If a herd of grazing an
telopes is divided, the divisions feeding
on both sides of an open stretch of IA
vorable ground, they often find that
the open space is a zone through
ing the beasts close presence to wind !
ward. Mounted Somali warriors are
often used to scout the rolling country
for lion tracks.
East African lions show a marked |
luminosity to mounted men, arising |
probably froIa the advantage given by |
the horses speed. They will attack /
mounted men when unmolested and |
when the circumstances would war
rant their avoiding unmounted men
until attacked. Recently a few miles
north of Lake Isolt, which Mr.. Roose-
velt will pass, a lion sprang from
lump Of bushes upon mounted Eng
ish army officer and a companion,
threw the officer and his pony to the
ground, breaking the ponys back, and
hen killed the other man, tearing
tway his face. The Englishman killed
he lion with two hollow pointed lead
;lugs from 40 Express.
Hunters often trace lions by means
# the musky odor Of places where the
beasts have stayed for a period, but
sometimes they are aggravatingly de-
eived by an aromatic shrub that fills
he air with an odOr practically indis-
from lion scent.
AS a lion when unable to finish its
,rey at one meal often returns to 1t
he following day, this habit is some
lines taken advantage Of when a
freshly killed animal bearing a lions
marks is discovered. A trap gun Is
let, arranged by attaching a piece Of
itring to the trigger of an ordinary
life in such a way that the lion in at
empting to reach its anticipated meal
strikes the connection, causing the r.
lie to go of. The gun is arranged so
hat the lion will invariably receive Its
While the trap gun rarely
Kills the game. it gives notice to the
hunters and wounds the beast.