48 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 



was being hauled across one of these temporary 

 bridges. As the trolley with its heavy load required 

 very careful manipulation, my head mason, Heera 

 Singh, stood on the top of the stone to direct 

 operations, while the overseer, Purshotam Hurjee, 

 superintended the gangs of men who hauled the 

 ropes at either end in order to steady it up and 

 down the inclines. But we did not know that the 

 stream had succeeded in washing away the founda- 

 tions of one of the log supports ; and as the weight 

 of the trolley with the stone came on the under- 

 mined pier, the rails tilted up and over went the 

 whole thing into the river, just as I snapped the 

 picture. Heera Singh made a wild spring into the 

 water to get clear of the falling stone, while 

 Purshotam and the rest fled as if for their lives to 

 the bank. It was altogether a most comical sight, 

 and an extraordinary chance that at the very moment 

 of the accident I should be taking a photograph of 

 the operation. Fortunately, no one was injured in 

 the slightest, and the stone was recovered undamaged 

 with but little trouble. 



Not long after this occurrence my own labours 

 were one day nearly brought to a sudden and un- 

 pleasant end. I was travelling along in an empty 

 trolley which, pushed by two sturdy Pathans, was 

 returning to the quarry for sand. Presently we 

 came to the sharp incline which led to the log bridge 



