vm DEATH OF THE FIRST MAN-EATER 87 



distance, I eventually lost his trail in a rocky patch 

 of ground. 



Bitterly did I anathematise the hour in which I 

 had relied on a borrowed weapon, and in my disap- 

 pointment and vexation I abused owner, maker, and 

 rifle with fine impartiality. On extracting the un- 

 exploded cartridge, I found that the needle had not 

 struck home, the cap being only slightly dented ; so 

 that the whole fault did indeed lie with the rifle, 

 which I later returned to Farquhar with polite com- 

 pliments. Seriously, however, my continued ill- 

 luck was most exasperating ; and the result was that 

 the Indians were more than ever confirmed in their 

 belief that the lions were really evil spirits, proof 

 against mortal weapons. Certainly, they did seem 

 to bear charmed lives. 



After this dismal failure there was, of course, 

 nothing to do but to return to camp. Before doing 

 so, however, I proceeded to view the dead donkey, 

 which I found to have been only slightly devoured 

 at the quarters. It is a curious fact that lions always 

 begin at the tail of their prey and eat upwards 

 towards the head. As their meal had thus been 

 interrupted evidently at the very beginning, I felt 

 pretty sure that one or other of the brutes would 

 return to the carcase at nightfall. Accordingly, as 

 there was no tree of any kind close at hand, I had a 

 staging erected some ten feet away from the body. 

 This mac han was about twelve feet high and was 



