XXIV BHOOTA’S LAST SHIKAR 277 
had diverted the lion’s attention from me and 
had drawn the whole fury of the charge on to 
himself. 
All this, of course, happened in only a second or 
two. In the short instant that intervened, I felt a 
cartridge thrust into my hand by Spooner’s plucky 
servant, Imam _ Din, 
who had carried the 
12-bore all day and 
who had stuck to me 
gallantly throughout 
the charge; and 
shoving it in, I rushed 
as quickly as I could 
to Bhoota’s_ rescue. 
Meanwhile, Spooner 
had got there before  “svooner’s cu ore a ah IMAM 
me and when I came 
up actually had his left hand on the lion’s flank, in a 
vain attempt to push him off Bhoota’s prostrate 
body and so get at the heavy rifle which the poor 
fellow still stoutly clutched. The lion, however, was 
so busily engaged mauling Bhoota’s arm that he paid 
not the slightest attention to Spooner’s efforts. Un- 
fortunately, as he was facing straight in my direc- 
tion, | had to move up in full view of him, and the 
moment I reached his head, he stopped chewing 
the arm, though still holding it in his mouth, 
and threw himself back on his haunches, prepar- 
