278 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 



ing for a spring, at the same time curling back 

 his lips and exposing his long tusks in a savage 

 snarl. I knew then that I had not a moment 

 to spare, so I threw the rifle up to my shoulder 

 and pulled the trigger. Imagine my utter de- 

 spair and horror when it did not go off! " Misfire 

 again," I thought, and my heart almost stopped 

 beating. As I took a step backwards, I felt it was 

 all over now, for he would never give me time to 

 extract the cartridge and load again. Still I took 

 another step backwards, keeping my eyes fixed on 

 the lion's, which were blazing with rage ; and in the 

 middle of my third step, just as the brute was 

 gathering himself for his spring, it suddenly struck 

 me that in my haste and excitement, I had forgotten 

 that I was using a borrowed rifle and had not pulled 

 back the hammer (my own was hammerless). To 

 do this and put a bullet through the lion's brain 

 was then the work of a moment ; and he fell dead 

 instantly right on the top of Bhoota. 



We did not lose a moment in rolling his great 

 carcase off Bhoota's body and quickly forced open 

 the jaws so as to disengage the mangled arm, 

 which still remained in his mouth. By this time 

 the poor shikari was in a fainting condition, and we 

 flew to the tonga for the brandy flask which we had 

 so providentially brought with us. On making a 

 rough examination of the wounded man, we found 

 that his left arm and right leg were both frightfully 



