276 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 



of the enraged animal, I being about five yards 

 to the left front of Spooner, who was followed 

 by Bhoota at about the same distance to his right 

 rear. By this time the lion was beside himself 

 with fury, growling savagely and raising quite a 

 cloud of dust by lashing his tail against the ground. 

 It was clearly high time that we did something, 

 so asking Spooner to fire, I dropped on one knee 

 and waited. Nor was I kept long in suspense, for the 

 moment Spooner's shot rang out, up jumped the lion 

 and charged down in a bee-line for me, coming in 

 long, low bounds at great speed. I fired the right 

 barrel at about fifty yards, but apparently missed ; the 

 left at about half that range, still without stopping 

 effect. I knew then that there was no time to reload, 

 so remained kneeling, expecting him to be on me the 

 next moment. Suddenly, just as he was within a 

 bound of me, he made a quick turn to my right. 

 "Good heavens," I thought, "he is going for 

 Spooner." I was wrong in this, however, for like a 

 flash he passed Spooner also, and with a last tre- 

 mendous bound seized Bhoota by the leg and rolled 

 over and over with him for some yards in the 

 impetus of the rush. Finally he stood over him 

 and tried to seize him by the throat, which the 

 brave fellow prevented by courageously stuffing 

 his left arm right into the great jaws. Poor 

 Bhoota ! By moving at the critical moment, he 



