THE RAH AD RIVER 217 



under a tree ; but as I watched him, he began to 

 turn round and round, and presently fell quite 

 dead, shot exactly behind the shoulder 13f inches. 

 At 1 p.m. I returned to the kill, with cold supper, 

 machan, etc., for an all-night sitting. To my ex- 

 treme disgust, I found that the lion had returned 

 meanwhile, and left nothing of the carcase but the 

 head and neck and a few particles of the stomach. I 

 have very little doubt that my three shikaris, who 

 had not gone down the river-bed as ordered, 

 merely sat down some 50 yards off with the lion 

 watching them, while I had put in my hour's vigil 

 over the remains in the morning. Unluckily we had 

 brought no goat. I made my machan as usual and 

 spent the night in it, seeing nothing but a collection 

 of ichneumons, civet-cats, large lizards, etc., which 

 made free with the remains of the feast. This 

 was an unlucky affair, though I must admit that I did 

 have a hint of the state of affairs in this way. Im- 

 mediately after leaving the carcase, R. found a bees' 

 nest and rifled the contents, getting well stung in 

 doing so. This took a considerable time, and I re- 

 turned to look at the carcase, and found a few square 

 inches of flesh exposed, but I thought this merely due 

 to birds and covered it up more strongly. Now, how- 

 ever, I have no doubt that it was the lion that I drove 

 of? a second time, though he was so stealthy in his 

 movements that we never supposed him to be so near. 



