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The Land of Footprints-Part14_Stewart Edward White(1873-1946)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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sauntering leisurely across the open plains toward their lairs.



They go a little, stop a little, yawn, sit down a while, and

gradually work their way home. At those times you come upon them



unexpectedly face to face, or, seeing them from afar, ride them

down in a gloriousgallop. Where the country has been much



hunted, however, the lion learns to abandon his kill and seek

shelter before daylight, and is almost never seen abroad. Then



one must depend on happening upon him in his cover.

In the actualhunting of his game the lion is apparently very



clever. He understands the value of cooperation. Two or more will

manoeuvre very skilfully to give a third the chance to make an



effective spring; whereupon the three will share the kill. In a

rough country, or one otherwise favourable to the method, a pack



of lions will often deliberately drive game into narrow ravines

or cul de sacs where the killers are waiting.



At such times the man favoured by the chance of an encampment

within five miles or so can hear a lion's roar.



Otherwise I doubt if he is apt often to get the full-voiced,

genuine article. The peculiar questioning cough of early evening



is resonant and deep in vibration, but it is a call rather than a

roar. No lion is fool enough to make a noise when he is stalking.



Then afterward, when full fed, individuals may open up a few

times, but only a few times, in sheer satisfaction, apparently,



at being well fed. The menagerie row at feeding time, formidable

as it sounds within the echoing walls, is only a mild and gentle



hint. But when seven or eight lions roar merely to see how much

noise they can make, as when driving game, or trying to stampede



your oxen on a wagon trip, the effect is something tremendous.

The very substance of the ground vibrates; the air shakes. I can



only compare it to the effect of a very large deep organ in a

very small church. There is something genuinely awe-inspiring



about it; and when the repeated volleys rumble into silence, one

can imagine the veldt crouched in a rigid terror that shall



endure.

XI. LIONS AGAIN



As to the dangers of lion hunting it is also difficult to write.

There is no question that a cool man, using good judgment as to



just what he can or cannot do, should be able to cope with lion

situations. The modern rifle is capable of stopping the beast,



provided the bullet goes to the right spot. The right spot is

large enough to be easy to hit, if the shooter keeps cool. Our



definition of a cool man must comprise the elements of steady

nerves under super-excitement, the ability to think quickly and



clearly, and the mildly strategic quality of being able to make

the best use of awkward circumstances. Such a man, barring sheer



accidents, should be able to hunt lions with absolute certainty

for just as long as he does not get careless, slipshod or



over-confident. Accidents-real accidents, not merely unexpected

happenings-are hardly to be counted. They can occur in your own



house.

But to the man not temperamentally qualified, lion shooting is



dangerous enough. The lion, when he takes the offensive, intends

to get his antagonist. Having made up his mind to that, he



charges home, generally at great speed. The realization that it

is the man's life or the beast's is disconcerting. Also the



charging lion is a spectacle much more awe-inspiring in reality

than the most vivid imagination can predict. He looks very large,



very determined, and has uttered certain rumbling, blood-curdling

threats as to what he is going to do about it. It 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 a distance is said to start

rather slowly, and to increase his pace only as he closes.



Personally I have never been charged by an unwounded beast, but I

can testify that the wounded animal comes very fast. Cuninghame



puts the rate at about seven seconds to the hundred yards.




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