106 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CH. Ix 
Africa. But there is no evidence that the old 
inhabitants of Europe, or of Assyria or Asia Minor, 
ever killed lions or wolves by this means. They 
looked to the King or chief, or some champion, to 
kill these monsters for them. It was not the sport 
but the duty of Kings, and was in itself a title to be 
a ruler of men. Theseus, who cleared the roads of 
beasts and robbers; Hercules, the lion killer ; 
St. George, the dragon-slayer, and all the rest of 
their class owed to this their everlasting fame. 
From the story of the Tsavo River we can appre- 
ciate their services to man even at this distance of 
time. When the jungle twinkled with hundreds of 
lamps, as the shout went on from camp to camp 
that the first lion was dead, as the hurrying crowds _ 
fell prostrate in the midnight forest, laying their 
heads on his feet, and the Africans danced savage 
and ceremonial dances of thanksgiving, Mr. Patter- 
son must have realised in no common way what it 
was to have been a hero and deliverer in the days 
when man was not yet undisputed lord of the 
creation, and might pass at any moment under the 
savage dominion of the beasts.” 
Well had the two man-eaters earned all this 
fame; they had devoured between them no less than 
twenty-eight Indian coolies, in addition to scores of 
unfortunate African natives of whom no_ official 
record was kept. 
wet 
