lions the element
of sheer chance seems to begin earlier and last longer than is the case
with any other beast. And, you must remember, experience must thrust
through the luck element to the solid ground of averages before it can
have much value in the way of generalization. Before he has reached that
solid ground, a man's opinions depend entirely on what kind of lions
he chances to meet, in what circumstances, and on how matters happen to
shape in the crowded moments.

But though lack of sufficiently extended experience has much to do with
these decided differences of opinion, I believe that misapprehension
has also its part. The sportsman sees lions on the plains. Likewise the
lions see him, and promptly depart to thick cover or rocky butte. He
comes on them in the scrub; they bound hastily out of sight. He may even
meet them face to face, but instead of attacking him, they turn to right
and left and make off in the long grass. When he follows them, they
sneak cunningly away. If, added to this, he has the good luck to kill
one or two stone dead at a single shot each, he begins to think there is
not much in lion shooting after all, and goes home proclaiming the king
of beasts a skulking coward.

After all, on what grounds does he base this conclusion? In what way
have circumstances been a test of courage at all? The lion did not
stand and fight, to be sure; but why should he? What was there in it
for lions? Behind any action must a motive exist. Where is the possible
motive for any lion to attack on sight? He does not-except in unusual
cases-eat men; nothing has occurred to make him angry. The obvious thing
is to avoid trouble, unless there is a good reason to seek it. In that
one evidences the lion's good sense, but not his lack of courage. That
quality has not been called upon at all.

But if the sportsman had done one of two or three things, I am quite
sure he would have had a taste of our friend's mettle. If he had shot at
and even grazed the beast; if he had happened upon him where an exit was
not obvious; or IF HE HAD EVEN FOLLOWED THE LION UNTIL THE LATTER HAD
BECOME TIRED OF THE ANNOYANCE, he would very soon have discovered that
Leo is not all good nature, and that once on his courage will take him
in against any odds. Furthermore, he may be astonished and dismayed
to discover that of a group of several lions, two or three besides the
wounded animal are quite likely to take up the quarrel and charge too.
In