262 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 



Of course they were not far away ; nothing ever is 

 to a native of East Africa. However, the upshot 

 was that in a very few minutes I had a mule saddled, 

 and with the old Masai as guide, started off accom- 

 panied by my faithful Mahina and another coolie 

 to help to bring home the skin if I should prove 

 successful. I also left word for my friend Spooner, 

 the District Engineer, who happened to be absent 

 from camp just at the moment, that I had gone 

 after two lions, but hoped to be back by nightfall. 



We travelled at a good pace, and within an hour 

 had covered fully six miles ; still there was no sign 

 of lions. On the way we were joined by some 

 Wa Kamba, even more scantily attired than our 

 guide, and soon a dispute arose between these 

 hangers-on and the old Masai, who refused to allow 

 them to accompany us, as he was afraid that they 

 would seize all the zebra-meat that the lions had not 

 already eaten. However, I told him not to bother, 

 but to hurry up and show me the lions, and that I 

 would look after him all right. Eventually, on 

 getting to the low crest of one of the long swells in 

 the ground, our guide extended a long skinny finger 

 and said proudly, " Tazama, Bwana " (" See, 

 Master"). I looked in the direction in which he 

 pointed, and sure enough, about six hundred yards 

 off were a lion and a lioness busily engaged on the 

 carcase of a zebra. On using my field-glasses, I 



