262 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 
Of course they were not far away; nothing ever is 
to a native of East Africa. However, the upshot 
was that in a very few minutes I had a mule saddled, 
and with the old Masai as guide, started off accom- 
panied by my faithful Mahina and another coolie 
to help to bring home the skin if I should prove 
successful. I also left word for my friend Spooner, 
the District Engineer, who happened to be absent 
from camp just at the moment, that I had gone 
after two lions, but hoped to be back by nightfall. 
We travelled at a good pace, and within an hour 
had covered fully six miles; still there was no sign 
of lions. On the way we were joined by some 
Wa Kamba, even more scantily attired than our 
guide, and soon a dispute arose between these 
hangers-on and the old Masai, who refused to allow 
them to accompany us, as he was afraid that they 
would seize all the zebra-meat that the lions had not 
already eaten. However, I told him not to bother, 
but to hurry up and show me the lions, and that I 
would look after him all right. Eventually, on 
getting to the low crest of one of the long swells in 
the ground, our guide extended a long skinny finger 
and said proudly, ‘‘ Zazama, Bwana” (See, 
Master’’). I looked in the direction in which he 
pointed, and sure enough, about six hundred yards 
off were a lion and a lioness busily engaged on the 
carcase of a zebra, On using my field-glasses, | 
