Here an occurrence
took place concerning which I have frequently been questioned in
England, and which, but for the importunities of friends, I meant to
have kept in store to tell my children when in my dotage. The Bakatla of
the village Mabotsa were much troubled by lions, which leaped into the
cattle-pens by night and destroyed their cows. They even attacked the
herds in open day. This was so unusual an occurrence that the people
believed they were bewitched--"given," as they said, "into the power of
the lions by a neighboring tribe." They went at once to attack the
animals, but, being rather a cowardly people compared to Bechuanas in
general on such occasions, they returned without killing any.
It is well known that if one of a troop of lions is killed, the others
take the hint and leave that part of the country. So the next time the
herds were attacked I went with the people in order to encourage them to
rid themselves of the annoyance by destroying one of the marauders. We
found the lions on a small hill about a quarter of a mile in length and
covered with trees.
Pages:
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484