The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-09-06
A Lion Runs 100 Yards in Seconds.

In the September American Maya
zine, Stewart Edward White writes a
most interesting article on lion hunt
ing. 1t is based on experiences he
recently had on a years hunt in Africa.
during which he saw over seventy
lions. An extract from the article
follows:
ITO the man not temperamentally
qualified, lion shooting is dangerous
enough. The lion, when he takes the
offensive, intends to get his antag
onist. Having made up his mind to
that, he charges home, generally at
at great speed. The realization that it
Is the mans life or the beasts is dis
concerning. Also the charging lion
is a spectacle much more awe-inspir-
ing in reality than the most vivid inn
agination can predict. He looks very
large, very determined, and has ut
tered certain rumbling, blood-curdl-
ing threats as to what he is going to
do about it. 1t 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
distance, is said to start rather slow,
and to increase his pace only as he
closes. Personally have never been
charged by an unwounded beast; but
can testify that the wounded animals
come very fast. Cunninghame puts
the rate at about seven seconds to
the hundred yards. Certainly should
say that man charged from fifty
yards or so would have little chance
for second shot, provided that he
had missed the first. A hit seemed, in
my experience, to check 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 flurried or ner-
vous beginner. He does not want the
lion to come an inch nearer; he fires
at too long a range; misses, and is kill
led 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
they ever 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 l have seen a
lion missed clean we'll inside those
limits.
From such performances are So
called lion accidents built. During my
stay in Africa / heard of six white
men being killed by two lions, and a
number of others being mauled. As
far as possible l tried to determine
the facts of each case. In every in
stance the trouble followed either
foolishness or loss of nerve. believe
l should be quite safe in saying that
from identically the same circum-
stances 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
but generally because of furried mani
pulaion!-one may unexpectedly meet
the lion at too close quarters; foot
may slip, or cartridge prove defec-
tive. So may one fall downstairs, or
bump ones head in the dark. Sufficient
forethought and alertness and read
mess would go far in either case to
prevent bad results"