THE SETTIT RIVER 113 



January 2nd. Spent the night in lion-machan. 

 There was absolutely no moon, but the stars gave 

 some light, and the lamp was working well. Went to 

 sleep, and was awakened at midnight by piercing 

 screams from the goat. I afterwards found that the 

 iron chain prevented the fatal grip of the neck, and 

 the poor brute was being practically flayed alive. I 

 aligned my rifle and turned on the light, and saw a 

 lion standing over the goat. As soon as he saw the 

 light he moved off too quickly to give a chance of a 

 sure shot, and I turned off the light again, the poor 

 goat lying moaning. After ten minutes or so the goat 

 gave another scream, and I turned on the light again, 

 and saw the lion standing over it. He moved off 

 again, but turned round, and gave a not very satis- 

 factory shot, which, however, I was compelled to take, 

 and the lion disappeared to the right, growling. As 

 the goat was now dead, and there was absolute silence, 

 I turned off the light. After a quarter of an hour, 

 however, in the dim light I saw a dark form advanc- 

 ing stealthily from the right. Unfortunately my 

 rifle clinked against a chain of the machan, and the 

 lion was off at once, without giving a chance. After 

 half an hour, however, I saw another dark shape on 

 the road, and the lion again advanced most stealthily. 

 I made a great blunder trying to align my rifle 

 before he had seized the goat, and he bounded off and 



returned no more. I was almost certain that I had 

 i 



