CHAPTER XIV 



THE FINDING OF THE MAN-EATERS* DEN 



THERE were some rocky-looking hills lying to the 

 south-west of Tsavo which I was particularly 

 anxious to explore, so on one occasion when work 

 had been stopped for the day owing to lack of 

 material, I set off for them, accompanied by Mahina 

 and a Punjaubi coolie, who was so stout that he 

 went by the name of Moota (i.e. " Fattie "). In 

 the course of my little excursions round Tsavo I 

 gradually discovered that I was nearly always able 

 to make my way to any required point of the 

 compass by following certain well-defined animal 

 paths, which I mapped out bit by bit during my 

 explorations. On this occasion, for instance, as 

 soon as we had crossed the river and had struck 

 into the jungle, we were fortunate enough to find a 

 rhino path leading in the right direction, which 

 greatly facilitated our progress. As we were making 

 our way along this path through the dry bed of a 



