CHARTER. VII 
THE DISTRICT OFFICER'S NARROW ESCAPE 
Some little time before the flight of the workmen, 
I had written to Mr. Whitehead, the District Officer, 
asking him to come up and assist me in my cam- 
paign against the lions, and to bring with him any 
of his askarts (native soldiers) that he could spare. 
He replied accepting the invitation, and told me to 
expect him about dinner-time on December 2, which 
turned out to be the day after the exodus. His 
train was due at Tsavo about six o'clock in the 
evening, 
meet him and to help in carrying his baggage to the 
so I sent my “boy” up to the station to 
camp. Ina very short time, however, the “boy” 
rushed back trembling with terror, and informed me 
that there was no sign of the train or of the railway 
staff, but that an enormous lion was standing on the 
station platform. This extraordinary story I did 
not believe in the least, as by this time the coolies 
—never remarkable for bravery—were in such a 
