Hunting and Trapping Stories; a Book for Boys/All About Lions

by J. P. Hyde Price

LIONS STALKING.

The lion is not plentiful anywhere off the African continent. At one time it was found all over Asia, but it has been exterminated. A few still exist in Persia and China, but from India it has vanished entirely.

The lion has none of the tiger's slinking habits, and is therefore much easier to approach. In fact, at times it appears to expose itself recklessly. When a lion is disturbed it will come out fearlessly into the open to investigate. On the other hand, the tiger on hearing any suspicious noise will lie closely concealed. If it happens to be a powerful enemy, such as an elephant or an armed man, it slinks away like a shadow.

Until a few years ago there were plenty of lions all over Africa, but they are rapidly vanishing. Since the white man started in to settle up the country the haunts of the lion have been invaded and the "King of Beasts" has been driven away or killed off. In fact, in certain regions or recently settled Uganda and Mashonaland, in tropical Africa the lion has entirely disappeared within eighteen months of the white man's coming.

Sir Samuel Baker, a great hunter and explorer, who was an authority on matters relating to the dark continent stated his belief that within a century not a lion would be left alive outside the zoological gardens, for the killing is going on far too rapidly to allow a single specimen to be left. The building of railways makes it easy for man to reach the hunting grounds where before it was very difficult.

Children often ask "which is stronger, the lion or tiger?" It is not a fair question, for the two animals can hardly be compared. It is true that while they are both members of the cat family, and are mighty hunters their habits are completely different. For instance, when a tiger springs upon its prey, it buries its claws deep into the victim's back and tries to bite it in some vital spot, such as the neck. Again, the tiger inhabits the tall grass jungles. Now, the lion when it springs upon its prey deals it a powerful, smashing downward blow which generally kills at once. Moreover, the lion is not found in the forests, but lives in the open country among the sand-hills and scrub bushes. The lion is about the same length as the tiger, that is, from eight to ten feet long, but on average it weighs more. In ferocity and strength they are about equal although the tiger is the more wantonly cruel of the two. You do not often hear of a "man-eating lion."

The lion in captivity is a poor, thin, slab-sided creature compared to the royal beast in its native home. The male lion has a splendid mane about its neck which during battle serves to protect its throat and jaws from its enemy's teeth. In a wild state the lion is a perfect picture of beauty and strength.

LIONESS AND CUBS HUNTING.

Its huge muscles stand out like cords, while its fur has a satiny gloss which is never seen on the caged animal.

An engineer who had but recently arrived in Uganda, in Central Africa, knew nothing of the lion or its habits except what he had picked up from his friends and his native servants. He made it a daily custom to walk towards a mound after the evening meal was over in the camp, to watch the sun go down. Darkness soon spreads over the sky in the tropics.

On the night in question it was not many minutes before the camp fires shone out clearly. Suddenly the sound of distant rumbling reached his ears. In an instant he knew that for the first time in his life he was listening to the roar of a lion. The whole air seemed to vibrate, and all around him when silence reigned the air seemed heavy until the roar broke out again.

The engineer heard a step behind him, and on turning his head he found his trusty body servant fully armed. The native, who was an experienced hunter, knew that his master had gone out without his rifle and that he might be in danger at any minute. "Let us lie down," said the native, "and we shall see the king. May be you will get a shot at him." The pair concealed themselves near a rock and waited. The roar broke out again, coming closer and closer all the time. Suddenly one roar louder than all the others, ended in a sort of a whine. The native knew that the lion had 'winded' the dreaded 'man smell.'

After a silence of many minutes broken only by the sound of some dry twigs as if being trodden on by a soft but heavy footed creature, the engineer poised his rifle across a rock ready for instant use. The silence was terrible, and the man felt as though he was surrounded by creeping lions. The play of the moonbeams among the shadows seemed to cause them to take shapes, all having a tail and four legs. After a moment or two the native gripped his master's wrist. The man's eyes followed those of his servant just in time to see a lion step out into the moonlight. The brute knew that it was close to its enemies for it was sniffing suspiciously. The engineer steadied his nerves and moved his rifle into position. The barrel glanced in the moonlight, and the lion seeing it crouched without a sound. Its muscles became rigid and ready for any movement. The engineer got a good sight right between the creature's eyes and when the native whispered "Now" the rifle rang out. Before the smoke had cleared they were both rolled over by the lion as it sprang past them. They scrambled to their feet as quickly as they could. When the dust and smoke had cleared away they beheld the lion coughing miserably. The bullet had gone low and had passed through

NIGHT ATTACK BY A LION.

the throat and lungs. In a little while it rolled over dead.

The shot brought all the men from the camp, and great was the rejoicing at the engineer's success. It took the latter some time, however, to remember where he was; for no man can be kocked down by a lion and go unscathed. When daylight came, he found the shoulder of his coat torn and a claw mark on the stock of his rifle, as neat as if it had been chiseled out. This served ever after to remind him of his first lion hunt.

The lioness gives birth to quite a large family, often six and seven cubs at one time. When they are big enough the mother takes them out with her and are taught to hunt. The little fellows act exactly as the parents do, and after a few weeks instruction they learn to kill the smaller and slower kind of deer. If an enemy should approach while the lioness is so engaged she will fight desperately to protect the family, never hesitating to sacrifice her own life when necessary. Directly the cubs are big enough to take entire care of themselves the parents send them off and have no more to do with them. They must become independent and hunt alone. It takes a lion several years to attain its full growth and strength.

Animals have many senses much better developed than man. For instance, cattle in some mysterious way seem to be aware of a lion's presence long before the man has had the slightest inkling. Some experienced hunters claim that it is the sense of smell, but perhaps the truer reason is that the cattle bring a far more subtle and wonderful sense into play.

One night after a stock karal, near Bulawayo, had been closed for the night the animals huddled together in the centre as if in mortal terror. The ranchmen loaded their rifles, not knowing what might turn up, and kept watch. Nothing happened for a couple of hours and they were just about to give up and go to bed when the cattle became more and more uneasy, until a loud roar a lion sprang over the fence. The cattle stampeded at once, but the lion seized a calf in its jaws and got away safely with it before the ranchmen could do anything to prevent it.

Cattle karals are never free very long from such attacks, for the temptation of so many fat helpless beasts together is too great for any lion.

It is almost impossible to trap a lion, for it will never enter any cage to secure a bait no matter how hungry it is; nor will it cross pitfalls, and no steel trap was ever made that will hold an enraged lion. In fact, among animals the lion's sight and smell are excellent, and that is saying a good deal.

Sir Samuel Baker tells a story of his killing a large deer and leaving it were it had fallen until daylight. Early the next morning, taking his chief

A LION AND ITS QUARRY.

huntsman with him, he went to the place where the body had been left, and found that it had vanished. The ground all about was covered with the foot-prints of a lion. They followed the tracks until they came to a cave with a narrow opening. They crawled in on hands and knees, pushing their rifles in front of them. As they could smell flesh they correctly surmised that they were literally in a den of lions. Suddenly they found themselves face to face with a magnificent lion. The animal glanced at them in surprise, and with a deafening roar vanished. The hunters found that there was a second outlet to the cave. The half eaten body of the deer was found inside the cave, and they cut the head off and carried it back as a trophy won from a lion in its lair. The tiger would never have been frightened off in that fashion, but would have stood its ground and attacked its enemies at once.

Perhaps the greatest battles lions ever engage in are with the great Cape buffalos,

On one occasion a hunter who was lying in wait for game heard far off sounds of lions in mighty combat. The hunter ran in the direction from which the noise came and beheld two lions and a lioness trying to pull down a tough old buffalo. They fought over a couple of acres, and the stones and clods of earth flew in all directions. At first the lions would appear to be getting the best of it, when the buffalo would shake off one of its enemies only to have it attack from another quarter. After a while the buffalo badly injured the lioness and trampled her under foot. At this the two lions became furious, and succeeded in bringing their prey to its knees. The old buffalo fought desperately, but its enemies were too powerful. With one frantic effort to get away it sank on its knees and then on its side, while the lions tore at it until the last spark of life had vanished. The lions soon fell to quarreling over the body, and the hunter taking good aim stretched the largest one out stone dead. The second lion bounded away into the tall bushes. The hunter found the lioness with a broken back, so torn and battered that he shot her to put her out of misery. The lion which he had first killed was also badly mangled. The ground around was trampled out of all recognition, and large pieces of fur and hide were found in places. The poor old buffalo had weakened from the loss of blood, for its shoulders were torn into ribbons.

The same hunter a few months later saw a pair of lions attack a much larger buffalo. The lioness sprang upon the buffalo's head and an instant later was crushed to the ground. The buffalo then turned its attention to the lion, a splendid full grown fellow and they battled for an hour or more.

THREE TO ONE! LIONS AGAINST A BUFFALO.

At last the great horns of the buffalo tore a hole in the lion's flank and took all the fight out of it, and it turned tail and ran away. The buffalo was aroused to fury and rushed after it, but could not catch up. It then turned to wreck vengence upon the body of the lioness, tossing it up on its horns. When it was sure that there was no life left in the lioness it went off bellowing victoriously. To be sure a buffalo does not always come off best in a fight, but it never fails to make the battle remembered by its enemy. Both sides usually batter themselves to pieces.

Lions are able to move over the ground very carefully and swiftly when their great size and weight is considered. A lion will creep up to within five yards of a zebra, while a man would not get within half a mile, for the zebra is one of the most cautious of creatures. A lion will steal into a camp and strike a man down before he finds out that he is in danger. As we have said before a caged lion gives no idea of the strength, grace and beauty of the king of beasts when at home in the desert.

If you will let a fox terrier run through the lion's house in the Zoological Gardens you will see the sleepy brutes suddenly become all attention, their muscles will look as if though there were coiled springs in them, their green eyes will glisten, and their whiskers bristle. Then one gets a faint impression of what a real live lion is like. Try the experiment some day if you get the chance.

FRIENDLY ATTENTIONS—LIONS.