36 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 



vacated boma in the hope of getting an opportunity 

 of bagging one of them ; but in the middle of my 

 lonely vigil I had the mortification of hearing shrieks 

 and cries coming from the direction of the new 

 hospital, telling me only too plainly that our 

 dreaded foes had once more eluded me. Hurrying 

 to the place at daylight I found that one of the lions 

 had jumped over the newly erected fence and had 

 carried off the hospital bhisti (water-carrier), and 

 that several other coolies had been unwilling 

 witnesses of the terrible scene which took place 

 within the circle of light given by the big camp fire. 

 The bhisti, it appears, had been lying on the floor, 

 with his head towards the centre of the tent and his 

 feet nearly touching the side. The lion managed to 

 get its head in below the canvas, seized him by the 

 foot and pulled him out. In desperation the un- 

 fortunate water-carrier clutched hold of a heavy box 

 in a vain attempt to prevent himself being carried 

 off, and dragged it with him until he was forced to 

 let go by its being stopped by the side of the tent. 

 He then caught hold of a tent rope, and clung 

 tightly to it until it broke. As soon as the lion 

 managed to get him clear of the tent, he sprang at 

 his throat and after a few vicious shakes the poor 

 bhisti s agonising cries were silenced for ever. The 

 brute then seized him in his mouth, like a huge cat 

 with a mouse, and ran up and down the boma 



