“An instance of that occurred to the great lion-hunter Diedrich Muller, who mentioned it to me.  He had been alone hunting in the wilds, when he came suddenly upon a large lion, which, instead of giving way as they usually do, seemed disposed, from the angry attitude which he assumed, to dispute his progress.

“Muller instantly alighted, and, confident of his unerring aim, leveled his gun at the forehead of the lion, which had crouched in the act to spring, within sixteen paces of him; but as he fired, his horse, whose bridle was round his arm, started back, and, jerking him aside, caused him to miss; the lion bounded forward, but stopped within a few paces, confronting Muller, who stood defenseless, as his gun was discharged, and his horse had galloped off.

“The man and the beast stood looking each other in the face for a short time.  At length the lion moved backward, as if to go away.  Muller began loading his gun; the lion looked over his shoulder, growled, and immediately returned to his former position within a few paces of Muller.  Muller stood still, with his eyes fixed on the animal.  The lion again moved cautiously off; when he was at a certain distance, Muller proceeded to ram down his bullet.  The lion again looked back and growled angrily.  Muller again was quiet, and the animal continued turning and growling as it moved off, till at last it bounded away.”

“You imagine then, that the lion is aware of the fatal effects of fire-arms?” said the Major.

“It would appear so, not only on account of their being so angry if presented at them, or being touched even when they are close to them, but also from the greater respect the lion pays to man where fire-arms are in use.  The respect that he pays to men in the colony is not a general custom of the animal.

“As I said before, the lion is more dangerous in this Bushman country; because, in the first place, his awe of man has been removed, from his invariably successful encounters with those who have no weapons of force with which to oppose him; and, secondly, because he has but too often tasted human flesh, after which a lion becomes more partial to it than any other food.

“It is asserted, that when a lion has once succeeded in snatching some unfortunate Bushman from his cave, he never fails to return regularly every night, in hopes of another meal, until the horde is so harassed that they are compelled to seek some other shelter.  From apprehension of such attacks, it is also asserted that the Bushmen are in the habit of placing their aged and infirm people at the entrance of the cave during the night, that, should the lion come, the least valuable and most useless of their community may first fall a prey to the animal.”

“Of course, if permitted to help himself in that way, the lion can not have much fear of man,” observed Wilmot; “and his lurking abroad in the night takes away much from the nobleness of disposition which you are inclined to attribute to him.”