vii MAN-EATING LIONS 81 



her into the shamba where the matama corn lay cut. 

 began to devour the body. Shortly afterwards, 

 another lion appeared on the scene and joined in 

 the ghastly meal, the whole tragedy being enacted 

 before the eyes of those in the hut, who were too 

 terrified to run or cry for help to the woman's 

 husband who was fishing from the river-bank, not 

 more than a couple of hundred yards away. 



When the husband returned to his hut, an awful 

 sight met his eyes ; his youngest child, bitten through 

 the skull, lay dead at the door, while in the distance 

 two lions were growling over and gorging themselves 

 on his wife's body. Remembering that I was in the 

 neighbourhood, the distracted fellow, as I have 

 narrated, ran with all haste to my camp and begged 

 me to come to his assistance. 



In his absence, some natives, who had heard his 

 terrified yells, at once made their way to his hut and 

 the lions, on seeing them, left their victim's body 

 and vanished into the bush. On reaching the spot, 

 I at once went into the shamba and discovered the 

 horribly mangled remains of the unfortunate woman 

 lying among the matama corn, but as nothing more 

 could be done as far as she was concerned, accom- 

 panied by two of my men, I immediately set out in 

 pursuit of the lions. Though we followed their spoor 

 till sunset, never a glimpse of them did we get, so, 

 returning to the village, I made the natives leave 



G 



