24 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 



open with a startled, horrified look in them. The 

 place was considerably cut up, and on closer exami- 

 nation we found that two lions had been there and 

 had probably struggled for possession of the body. 

 It was the most gruesome sight I had ever seen. 

 We collected the remains as well as we could and 

 heaped stones on them, the head with its fixed, 

 terrified stare seeming to watch us all the time, for 

 it we did not bury, but took back to camp for 

 identification before the Medical Officer. 



Thus occurred my first experience of man-eating 

 lions, and I vowed there and then that I would 

 spare no pains to rid the neighbourhood of the 

 brutes. I little knew the trouble that was in store 

 for me, or how narrow were to be my own escapes 

 from sharing poor Ungan Singh's fate. 



That same night I sat up in a tree close to the 

 late jemadars tent, hoping that the lions would 

 return to it for another victim. I was followed to 

 my perch by a few of the. more terrified coolies, who 

 begged to be allowed to sit up in the tree with me ; 

 all the other workmen remained in their tents, but 

 no more doors were left open. I had with me my 

 303 and a 12 -bore shot gun, one barrel loaded with 

 ball and the other with slug. Shortly after settling 

 down to my vigil, my hopes of bagging one of the 

 brutes were raised by the sound of their ominous 

 roaring coming closer and closer. Presently this 



