The Man-Eater 4.1 



rifle carefully, keeping within arm's reach my six 

 charges of buckshot. I consider whether everything 

 is ready; and I enter the grass my finger on the trigger, 

 eyes directed well in front, ears on the stretch, with- 

 out making the slightest noise with my feet. . . . We 

 hear a rustling in the grass ten yards ahead ; we see 

 the tops move, but nothing more. We continue to 

 advance slowly. Ah ! there is a tree to my right ! 

 A sign to Kambombe, who climbs like a monkey, and 

 in a trice he is at the fork on the look-out. . . . 

 " There is the child," he says in a stifled voice, " but 

 no lion. . . ." Then, turning his head to the right : 

 " There he is ! . . . quick, this way ! " And, guided 

 by his gesture, I run to my right ; then, a thought 

 striking me, I beckon to the villagers who follow us 

 to approach, and with a movement of my arm tell 

 them to wind round the grass to the left. I send 

 Rodzani to ask them to make a noise so as to drive 

 the lion towards me. I myself take up a position in 

 a glade, standing motionless, all my faculties brought 

 to bear on that square of brush which I count upon 

 seeing the lion leave. 



Kambombe gives me information in a low voice 

 from his tree : " He's off ... no, he comes this way. 

 . . . He stops and looks in the direction of the men. . . . 

 He raises his mane. . . . Ah ! he comes in your direc- 

 tion ... at walking pace. . . . He is going to pass 

 the ant-hill . . . Ah ! if you were here ! . . . How 

 well I see him. . . . He looks behind him. . . . There 

 he is ! there he is ! ... Get back a little ; get back ! " 



