72 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 



the sand which had left the marks we had taken to 

 be the trail of a wounded lion. By this time the 

 beasts had retired far into the thick jungle where it 

 was impossible to follow them, so we had the 

 remains of the coolie buried and once more returned 

 home disappointed. 



Now the bravest men in the world, much less the 

 ordinary Indian coolie, will not stand constant 

 terrors of this sort indefinitely. The whole district 

 was by this time thoroughly panic-stricken, and I 

 was not at all surprised, therefore, to find on my 

 return to camp that same afternoon (December i) 

 that the men had all struck work and were waiting 

 to speak to me. When I sent for them, they flocked 

 to my boma in a body and stated that they would 

 not remain at Tsavo any longer for anything or any- 

 body ; they had come from India on an agreement 

 to work for the Government, not to supply food for 

 either lions or "devils." No sooner had they 

 delivered this ultimatum than a regular stampede 

 took place. Some hundreds of them stopped the 

 first passing train by throwing themselves on the 

 rails in front of the engine, and then, swarming on 

 to the trucks and throwing in their possessions 

 anyhow, they fled from the accursed spot. 



After this the railway works were completely 

 stopped ; and for the next three weeks practically 

 nothing was done but build "lion-proof" huts for 



