vir DEATH OF THE FIRST MAN-EATER 87 
distance, I eventually lost his trail in a rocky patch 
of ground. 
Bitterly did I anathematise the hour in which I 
had relied on a borrowed weapon, and in my disap- 
pointment and vexation I abused owner, maker, and 
rifle with fine impartiality. On extracting the un- 
exploded cartridge, I found that the needle had not 
struck home, the cap being only slightly dented ; so 
that the whole fault did indeed lie with the rifle, 
which I later returned -to Farquhar with polite com- 
pliments. Seriously, however, my continued ill- 
luck was most exasperating ; and the result was that 
the Indians were more than ever confirmed in their 
belief that the lions were really evil spirits, proof 
against mortal weapons. Certainly, they did seem 
to bear charmed lives. 
After this dismal failure there was, of course, 
nothing to do but to return to camp. Before doing 
so, however, | proceeded to view the dead donkey, 
which I found to have been only slightly devoured 
at the quarters. It is a curious fact that lions always 
begin at the tail of their prey and eat upwards 
towards the head. As their meal had thus been 
interrupted evidently at the very beginning, I felt 
pretty sure that one or other of the brutes would 
return to the carcase at nightfall. Accordingly, as 
there was no tree of any kind close at hand, I hada 
staging erected some ten feet away from the body. 
This machan was about twelve feet high and was 
