xxv MAN-EATER IN RAILWAY CARRIAGE 1285 



offered to Parenti, who declined it, saying that he 

 would be quite comfortable on the floor ; and he 

 accordingly lay down to sleep, with his feet towards 

 the sliding door which gave admission to the 

 carriage. 



It is supposed that Ryall, after watching for 

 some considerable time, must have come to the 

 conclusion that the lion was not going to make its 

 appearance that night, for he lay down on the lower 

 berth and dozed off. No sooner had he done 

 so, doubtless, than the cunning man-eater began 

 cautiously to stalk the three sleepers. In order to 

 reach the little platform at the end of the carriage, 

 he had to mount two very high steps from the 

 railway line, but these he managed to negotiate 

 successfully and in silence. The door from this 

 platform into the carriage was a sliding one on 

 wheels, which ran very easily on a brass runner ; 

 and as it was probably not quite shut, or at any 

 rate not secured in any way, it was an easy matter 

 for the lion to thrust in a paw and shove it open. 

 But owing to the tilt of the carriage and to his 

 great extra weight on the one side, the door slid to 

 and snapped into the lock the moment he got his 

 body right in, thus leaving him shut up with the 

 three sleeping men in the compartment. 



He sprang at once at Ryall, but in order to reach 

 him had actually to plant his feet on Parenti, who, it 



