vir DEATH OF THE FIRST MAN-EATER 89 
one of the brutes.” Profound silence again 
succeeded ; I sat on my eyrie like a statue, every 
nerve tense with excitement. Very soon, how- 
ever, all doubt as to the presence of the lion 
was dispelled. A deep long-drawn sigh—sure 
sign of hunger—came up from the bushes, and the 
rustling commenced again as he cautiously advanced. 
In a moment or two a sudden stop, followed by an 
angry growl, told me that my presence had been 
noticed ; and I began to fear that disappointment 
awaited me once more. 
But no; matters quickly took an unexpected turn. 
The hunter became the hunted; and instead of 
either making off or coming for the bait prepared 
for him, the lion began stealthily to stalk me / For 
about two hours he horrified me by slowly creeping 
round and round my crazy structure, gradually 
edging his way nearer and nearer. Every moment 
I expected him to rush it ; and the staging had not 
been constructed with an eye to such a possibility. 
If one of the rather flimsy poles should break, or if 
the lion could spring the twelve feet which separated 
me from the ground . . . the thought was scarcely 
a pleasant one. I began to feel distinctly ‘‘ creepy,” 
and heartily repented my folly in having placed my- 
self in such a dangerous position. I kept perfectly 
still, however, hardly daring even to blink my eyes: 
but the long-continued strain was telling on my 
nerves, and my feelings may be better imagined than 
