152 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CH. xm 



of the stock of meat which he had left on the 

 bank. 



I have since learned that accidents of this kind 

 are of fairly frequent occurrence along the banks of 

 these rivers. On one occasion while I was in the 

 country a British officer had a very lucky escape. 

 He was filling his water bottle at the river, when 

 one of these brutes caught him by the hand and 

 attempted to draw him in. Fortunately one of his 

 servants rushed to his assistance and managed to 

 pull him out of the crocodile's clutches with the loss 

 only of two of his fingers. 



As we made our way up the Sabaki, we 

 discovered a beautiful waterfall about a hundred' 

 and fifty feet high not a sheer drop, but a series 

 of cascades. At this time the river was in low 

 water, and the falls consequently did not look their 

 best ; but in flood time they form a fine sight, and 

 the thunder of the falling water can then be plainly 

 heard at Tsavo, over seven miles away, when the 

 wind is in the right direction. We crossed the 

 river on the rocks at the head of these falls, and 

 after some hours' hard marching reached camp 

 without further incident. 



