222 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 



well to the flank so as to be ready for any emergency. 

 Just as the men got up to a rather thicker piece of 

 jungle than usual, I fancied I saw a movement 

 among the bushes and pulled up suddenly to watch 

 the spot, but did not dismount. The next moment 

 out bounded a lioness, who raced straight across the 

 open strip into the next patch of jungle, quickly 

 followed by another. Throwing myself off my pony, 

 I seized my rifle to get a shot at the second lioness as 

 she galloped past, and was just about to pull the 

 trigger, when to my utter amazement out sprang a 

 huge black-maned lion, making all haste after his 

 mates. Before he could reach the further thicket, 

 however, I fired, and had the satisfaction of hearing 

 the deep growl that tells of a serious hit. 



The beaters and I now advanced with great care, 

 taking advantage of every bit of cover and keeping 

 a sharp look-out for the wounded animal as we crept 

 from tree to tree. Fully a quarter of an hour must 

 have elapsed in this slow yet exciting search, before 

 one of the men, some fifty or sixty yards to my left, 

 and a little ahead of the line, called out that he could 

 see the lion awaiting our approach, with his head just 

 visible in a large bed of rushes only a short distance 

 in front of where I then was. Almost at the same 

 moment I found blood marks left by the wounded 

 animal, leading apparently to a kind of gap in the 

 bank of the river, which had evidently been worn 



