228 UNDER THE AFRICAN SUN 



they begged me to push on to the next camp on the Tsavo 

 river, nine miles farther. We therefore marched the twenty- 

 one miles, crossed the Tsavo river, and camped. 



It was a hot still night, and most of the porters slept in 

 the open air by their camp-fires. No one dreamt there could 

 be any danger ; we all thought, that the man-eating lion had 

 been left nine miles behind us at Ngomeni. I felt unaccountably 

 restless, and kept tossing on my camp-bed. I could not sleep. 

 I sauntered out of my tent, saw that the night-watchman was 

 awake, looked at the sleeping figures around the glowing 

 camp-fires, and then strolled into the silent, darkness beyond 

 the camp. It was providential that I was not seized by the 

 man-eater, for he was close at hand at the very moment. 

 He had followed us from Ngomeni, and had swum across 

 the Tsavo river. My dog had followed me. He growled 

 angrily at some bush, so near that I could see some of the 

 leaves stirring. This was my fourth journey without ever 

 meeting with a lion, and I was at the moment so completely 

 unconscious of any danger, that I said to my dog : '* You silly ! 

 to growl when the wind stirs a few leaves." Since this night 

 I never like to venture outside the circle of camp-fires on a 

 dark night, however safe others may consider the surrounding 

 uninhabited country. 



Leisurely returning to my tent, I lay down on my camp- 

 bed, when I heard a horrid growling sound like "woohff" 

 a few yards from my tent-door. The next moment there 

 were shrieks and cries. In a second every man was awake, 

 and shouting, "Simba ! simba!" (lion, lion). Dashing out with 

 a loaded rifle, I found that the man-eater had carried ofif one 

 of my porters. Every one seized a firebrand, and we rushed 

 in pursuit. It surprises me yet, that we rescued the man. About 

 two hundred yards from the camp we found him lying on the 

 ground severely lacerated ; the lion had dropped him and tied. 

 I carefully examined the spot next morning. A strong but 

 withered branch stretched out horizontally a sharp-pointed 

 arm ; for some inches from the end, this was covered with the 

 lion's short hairs. My belief is, that the lion, bounding away 

 with his prey, accidentally struck his side against this sharp 

 branch. He may have taken it for a spear-thrust from one 

 of us pursuing him with shouts and blazing brands. 



The wounded man was carried to my tent. He had dreadful 



