xx HOW ROSHAN KHAN SAVED MY LIFE 251 
place, while I again rushed off at full speed—jump- 
ing over such rocks and bushes as came in my way 
—to have a shot at a lioness that was still in sight. 
By this time my followers numbered about thirty 
men, as when one is hunting in these plains natives 
seem to spring from nowhere in the most mysterious 
manner, and attach themselves to one in the hope of 
obtaining some portion of the kill. By signal I 
ordered them to advance in line on the thicket in 
which the lioness had just taken refuge, while I took 
up my position on one side, so as to obtain a good 
shot when she broke covert. The line of natives 
shouting their native cries and striking their spears 
together soon disturbed her, and out she sprang 
into the open, making for a clump of rushes close 
to the river. Unfortunately she broke out at the 
most unfavourable spot from my point of view, as 
some of the natives masked my fire, and I had 
consequently to wait until she got almost to the 
edge of the rushes. Whether or not I hit her then 
I cannot say; at any rate, she made good her 
escape into the reeds, where I decided to leave her 
until Brock should arrive. 
I now retraced my steps towards the spot where 
I had shot the lion, expecting, of course, to find the 
man I had told to watch him still on guard. To 
my intense vexation, however, I found that my 
sentry had deserted his post and had joined the 
