XVI A WIDOW’S STORY 177 
my husband and told him I felt sure there was 
a lion about. He jumped up and went out, 
taking his gun with him. He looked round the 
outside of the tent, and spoke to the Swahili 
askart who was on sentry by the camp fre a little 
distance off. The askarvi said he had seen nothing 
about except a donkey, so my husband came in 
again, telling me not to worry as it was only a 
donkey that I had heard. 
“The night being very hot, my husband threw 
back the tent door and lay down again beside 
me. After a while I dozed off, but was sud- 
denly roused by a feeling as if the pillow were 
being pulled away from under my head. On 
looking round I found that my husband was 
gone. I jumped up and called him loudly, but 
got no answer. Just then I heard a noise among 
the boxes outside the door, so I rushed out and 
saw my poor husband lying between the boxes. 
I ran up to him and tried to lift him, but found 
I could not do so. I then called to the askarz 
to come and help me, but he refused, saying 
that there was a lion standing beside me. I 
looked up and saw the huge beast glowering at 
me, not more than two yards away. At this 
moment the askavi fired his rifle, and this fortun- 
ately frightened the lion, for it at once jumped off 
into the bush. 
N 
