xiv FINDING THE MAN-EATERS' DEN 155 



could take aim, he snorted loudly and crashed off 

 through the tangled undergrowth. As I followed up 

 this ravine, walking stealthily along in the delightful 

 shade of the overhanging palms, I observed on 

 my left a little nullah which opened out of the 

 main channel through a confused mass of jungle 

 and creeper. Through this tangle there was a 

 well-defined archway, doubtless made by the regular 

 passage of rhino and hippo, so I decided to enter 

 and explore what lay beyond. I had not gone very 

 far when I came upon a big bay scooped out of the 

 bank by the stream when in flood and carpeted with 

 a deposit of fine, soft sand, in which were the 

 indistinct tracks of numberless animals. In one 

 corner of this bay, close under an overhanging tree, 

 stood a little sandy hillock, and on looking over the 

 top of this I saw on the other side a fearsome- 

 looking cave which seemed to run back for a con- 

 siderable distance under the rocky bank. Round 

 the entrance and inside the cavern I was thunder- 

 struck to find a number of human bones, with here 

 and there a copper bangle such as the natives wear. 

 Beyond all doubt, the man-eaters' den! In this 

 manner, and quite by accident, I stumbled upon the 

 lair of these once-dreaded " demons ", which I had 

 spent so many days searching for through the 

 exasperating and interminable jungle during the 

 time when they terrorised Tsavo, I had no in- 



