Page:Hunting and trapping stories; a book for boys (IA huntingtrappings00pric).pdf/49

ALL ABOUT LIONS 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