240 ON SAFARI 



hour the sportsman awaited on the platform any signs 

 of life in the bushes, but detecting no movement, he 

 descended from his perch. 



" He had hardly reached terra Jirrt.a, however, before 

 the wounded lion burst out of the scrub and struck the 

 hunter a blow with his paw which tore the flesh off his 

 arm to the bone. The hunter was knocked to the 

 ground, and the lion, which was evidently growing 

 weaker, rolled over on the sjrass and then drao'Q-ed itself 

 back into the bush, where its dead body was found a 

 little later. The hunter gave up watching for lions and 

 sought a hospital at the coast, and the poor babu was 

 left alone again in the wilderness. He told the train- 

 hands every day that he could not sleep at nights and 

 that his nerves were badly shaken. There was nothing 

 doing, however, for several weeks after the great day 

 when three lions had been laid low within a few rods of 

 the station. Then came another nervous telegram — 



" ' Extra urgent. — Track-hand was surrounded by 

 two lions while returning from signal-box. He climbed 

 a telegraph-pole near the water-tank. He is up there 

 yet. Order train to stop there and take him aboard. 

 The traffic-manager will please make necessary arrange- 

 ments." 



" The track-man, however, succeeded in reaching the 

 station before relief arrived. For several days the 

 telegraph wire was burdened only with routine dis- 

 patches. Then another episode was proclaimed in the 

 following shape — 



" ' To guard and driver of down train. 



" ' Carriage of secretary is on the siding, where he 

 shot a lion just now, and others are roaring on Makindu 

 side. Driver must proceed without signals and stop 

 engine opposite station. Guard must not get out of the 

 brake-van.' 



" Later advices have not yet come to hand, but if any 

 station-master is finding life monotonous and longs to 



