Evening star., 1923-10-21


T have appeared In literature
and art as ferocious animals
For about that length Of time
man has been attacking lions, and
when the lions fought back man has
set down this Judgment against
them At the same time with the
criticism of his sayagery, man has
put in all his records testimony to
the courage, strength and fighting
qualities of what has been called
through the ages the king OF beasts.
The lions savagery is very much
the same as man's-that Is, he Kills
other animals for food, and, not hav-
ing developed nay specialized in
dustries like the packers, each lion
kills for himself.
While many points about the lions
habits are controversial, I think that
practically every one who has had ex-
perience with them will agree that
they are not savage In the sense of
killing for the mere sake OF killing.
But once decided to fight, they will
fight with an amazing courage, even
If there are plenty of opportunities to
escape.
My first black-maned lion showed
these characteristics, He, too. pre-
ferred peace to war. although origi-
nally disturbed him with his kill. but
finally, when he declared war, al
though he was badly wounded, he
preferred to charge two white men
and thirty natives rather than at
tempt to escape.
! had gone up on the Mau plateau
TO snoot topi. The plateau is about
5000 feet above sea level. and l didn't
expect to find any lions. One day I
discovered two topi in little valley
between two gentle rises. l was
crawling up TO the top of one of the
rises overlooking the valley to get a
shot, when noticed some movement
IN the grass on the slope opposite. 1
thought 1t was another topi AS /
raised myself a little to shoot / no.
ciced that the original pair that / was
.Iunting were gazing with fixed at
tention toward the movement on the
far hillside.
looked again and saw an old lion
get up and walk to the top of the
hill, turn around facing me and lie
down to watch the valley from his
side as l was watching 1t from mine.
We were about 400 yards from each
other. In the valley between were
the topi, and also I noticed a dead
zebra. Evidently 1 had disturbed him
at his previous nights kill. My pony
and gun boys were some distance be-
hind and 1 had only one cartridge
left in my double barreled cordite
rifle.
Under these conditions reluctantly
decided to go back for proper equip
ment, My reluctance was not merely
at losing lion, but at losing that
particular lion, for he had a great
black name. and no one up to then
had killed a black k-maned lion In that
part of Africa.
4 X X
DY the time got back with my
- cartridges and the gun boys he
mad disappeared. Under the circum-
stances ! felt 1t wise to go to camp
and get my companion, Shaw Ken
9 nedy. and our thirty beaters to hunt
him out the next day.
Before going. however, I planned a
campaign. Not far from where the
lion had been, q ravine began. which
ran some distance and ended in a
thick piece of forest. The sides of
the ravine were covered with clumps
of thick bush. Into one of these
felt sure the lion had retreated,
hal Hn
20 into the forest My plan was to
enter the ravine the next day at the
forest end so that he could not es-
cape to safety among the trees. and
drive up the rayino to force him out
into the open.
When we got to the edge OF the
forest the next morning Kennedy and
I drew. lots for the choice of posi-
.tion. He won and chose the upper
.ond of the ravine toward which we
we're to drive, while 1 was to follow
up behind the beaters to get him II
he broke back, OF course, we were
not sure that our quarry was even
in the neighborhood. but had great
hopes of everything except obtaining
this first black-maned specimen
myself. for Kennedy's position made
II almost certain that he would get
the animal IL any one did.
The first patch of bush that the
heaters tackled was about 100 yards
long and 150 yards wide AS they
set up their usual racket before en-
~tering I thought I heard a lions
srupt, but as nothing more developed
= concluded 1t had been merely some
II the boys. This patch of bush was
Q, mass of nettles, briers and thorns
md made exceedingly disagreeable
going. The porters were making
very. slow progress, so went In to
Encourage them. However. by the
lime we were half way through
was SO scratched and torn that
qusssapd went out toward the bottom
otzhs ravine.
NRe briars had somewhat cooled
M faIth In the theory that the lion
waa1fn. the ravine. sat down on
arFaznthill where I had a fair view.
IIsnnedy fred and looked quickly.
Thh lion, which had come out in
fIbnf of Kennedy, had turned and
va running down across the ravine
aII up the other side.
had a good shot at him and the
bd2set knocked him over However,
l@Soe up and went into q ciump OF
9his .clump just filled a kind OF
pA hole about iifty yards In diame-
81 Kennedy watched one side and
I Mhe other, so that we had every
aVAnps OF escape covered. The beat
CO fhen began throwing stones and
stteka Into the bush. There was no
rs5R6MEe. He might be dead or he