24 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 
open with a startled, horrified look in them. The 
place was considerably cut up, and on closer exami- 
nation we found that two lions had been there and 
had probably struggled for possession of the body. 
It was the most gruesome sight I had ever seen. 
We collected the remains as well as we could and 
heaped stones on them, the head with its fixed, 
terrified stare seeming to watch us all the time, for 
it we did not bury, but took back to camp for 
identification before the Medical Officer. 
Thus occurred my first experience of man-eating 
lions, and I vowed there and then that I would 
spare no pains to rid the neighbourhood of the 
brutes. I little knew the trouble that was in store 
for me, or how narrow were to be my own escapes 
from sharing poor Ungan Singh's fate. 
That same night I sat up in a tree close to the 
late zemadar’s tent, hoping that the lions would 
return to it for another victim. I was followed to 
my perch by a few of the more terrified coolies, who 
begged to be allowed to sit up in the tree with me ; 
all the other workmen remained in their tents, but 
no more doors were left open. I had with me my 
‘303 and a 12-bore shot gun, one barrel loaded with 
ball and the other with slug. Shortly after settling 
down to my vigil, my hopes of bagging one of the 
brutes were raised by the sound of their ominous 
roaring coming closer and closer. Presently this 
