"It was on the swarthy, oatlike grass of Nairobi's Athi Plain in August of 1903 that Dick [Richard Meinertzhagen] and his pal Claude de Crespigny, both still toting a bayonet lashed to a bamboo pole as a spear, first saw the tawny form about 800 yards away. It was, of course, a lion, the kind that bites with essential efficiency. Neither Dick nor Claude knew what might happen if the lion were "ridden" with an eye to doing something rude to a critter nearly as big as their ponies, but it was Claude who semishouted, "I'm off--come on!" Certainly, he was well off, given that he was attacking a full-grown African lion with a lashed-on bayonet spear."

"It would seem that De Crespigny had the better horse, and he pulled ahead of Richard, thundering down on the lion, ersatz lance-head flashing. As the British officiers approached, the lion rose and stood in what must have been pure amazement. At twenty yards the big male crouched, but De Crespigny's horse wasn't up to the challenge and swerved at the last moment, depositing Claude on the Athi Plain within ten feet of the lion, who was spending his off moments watching both Claude and Dick as he approached on a lathered and moon-eyed Natalie [Richard's pony]. Dick felt like a fool coming up with a lowered "spear," the lion watching him with considerable interest and quite clearly ready to charge him and any other fools present. Yet the smoothness of the plain was punctuated by a sharp report as Claude's pistol fired and the lion, possibly more astounded than either of the officers, fell dead with a .455 Webley service pistol bullet in his brain!"

"At the instant of the firing by Claude, Dick's spear entered the lion's chest, so head struck a dead lion, yet he didn't know that until an instant later."
"... There was not a word spoken while they unzipped the lion and Dick confided that he was scared stupid. Of course, he knew De Crespigny well and suspected that he was faking it when Claude commented, on being asked if he had any sense of fear, that he had enjoyed the episode thoroughly. He in fact said, "Of course I did! ...I was afraid of myself, not the lion." There was no more conversation during the skinning. Dick finishes up the matter with his personal comment: "No more lion-sticking for me. This risk is not justified."

"When word got around of De Crespigny's triumph, Colonel Harrison, Dick and Claude's superior, threw a champagne supper for them. Harrison forbade them ever again to "ride" a lion and incur such stupid risks, but he did say, "My God, I should like to have been there!""

From the book 'Warrior - The Legend of Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen'
By Peter Hathaway Capstick