▁about ▁hunting ▁and ▁gold ▁min ing ▁and ▁car ous ing ▁and ▁women . ▁I ▁wrote ▁about ▁love ▁and ▁lov ing ▁and ▁h ating . ▁In ▁short ▁I ▁wrote ▁about ▁all ▁the ▁things ▁I ▁knew ▁well ▁and ▁loved ▁better . ▁I ▁left ▁out ▁all ▁the ▁imm ature ▁philosoph ies ▁and ▁radical ▁politics ▁and ▁reb elli ous ▁post uring ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁back bone ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁novel . ▁I ▁even ▁came ▁up ▁with ▁a ▁catch ing ▁title , ▁When ▁the ▁Lion ▁Fe eds . ▁When ▁the ▁Lion ▁Fe eds ▁tells ▁the ▁stories ▁of ▁two ▁young ▁men , ▁tw ins ▁Se an ▁and ▁G arr ick ▁Court ney . ▁The ▁characters ' ▁surname ▁was ▁a ▁t ribute ▁to ▁Smith ' s ▁grand father , ▁Court ney ▁James ▁Smith , ▁who ▁had ▁commanded ▁a ▁Maxim ▁gun ▁team ▁during ▁the ▁Z ulu ▁Wars . ▁Court ney ▁James ▁Smith ▁had ▁a ▁magnific ent ▁must ache ▁and ▁could ▁tell ▁wonderful ▁stories ▁that ▁had ▁helped ▁insp ire ▁Wil bur . ▁ ▁Smith ' s ▁agent ▁in ▁London , ▁Urs ula ▁Win ant , ▁managed ▁to ▁sell ▁the ▁book ▁to ▁William ▁Hein emann ▁for ▁an ▁advance ▁of ▁£ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁an ▁initial ▁print ▁run ▁of ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁copies . ▁The ▁book ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁be ▁successful , ▁s elling ▁around ▁the ▁world ▁( except ▁in ▁South ▁Africa , ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁b anned ) ▁and ▁en abling ▁Smith ▁to ▁leave ▁his ▁job ▁and ▁work ▁full - time . ▁Charles ▁Pick ,