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 that
They were bewitched - "given," as they said, "into the power of the lions
by a neighboring tribe." They went 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.
A circle of men was formed round it, and they gradually closed up,
ascending pretty near to each other. Being down below on the plain
with a native schoolmaster, named Mebalwe, a most excellent man,
I saw one of the lions sitting on a piece of rock within the now closed
circle of men. Mebalwe fired at him before I could, and the ball struck
the rock on which the animal was sitting. He bit at the spot struck,
as a dog does at a stick or stone thrown at him; then leaping away,
broke through the opening circle and escaped unhurt.
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