xxn HOW ROSHAN KHAN SAVED MY LIFE 251 



place, while I again rushed off at full speed jump- 

 ing over such rocks and bushes as came in my way 

 to have a shot at a lioness that was still in sight. 



By this time my followers numbered about thirty 

 men, as when one is hunting in these plains natives 

 seem to spring from nowhere in the most mysterious 

 manner, and attach themselves to one in the hope of 

 obtaining some portion of the kill. By signal I 

 ordered them to advance in line on the thicket in 

 which the lioness had just taken refuge, while I took 

 up my position on one side, so as to obtain a good 

 shot when she broke covert. The line of natives 

 shouting their native cries and striking their spears 

 together soon disturbed her, and out she sprang 

 into the open, making for a clump of rushes close 

 to the river. Unfortunately she broke out at the 

 most unfavourable spot from my point of view, as 

 some of the natives masked my fire, and I had 

 consequently to wait until she got almost to the 

 edge of the rushes. Whether or not I hit her then 

 I cannot say ; at any rate, she made good her 

 escape into the reeds, where I decided to leave her 

 until Brock should arrive. 



I now retraced my steps towards the spot where 

 I had shot the lion, expecting, of course, to find the 

 man I had told to watch him still on guard. To 

 my intense vexation, however, I found that my 

 sentry had deserted his post and had joined the 



