4IO ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA chap. 



rushed out ; but the lion had already disappeared into the 

 darkness. I fired a shot in the direction it had taken, as its 

 growls had indicated, and two of the men fired off their guns 

 immediately after ; there was another growl not far off in 

 response, and it evidently shifted farther away, for the other 

 shots produced no reply and we heard no more of it. I knew 

 what had happened without being told — of course it had taken 

 one of my men ; all I asked was, " Who is it ? " and received 

 the answer that Squareface had been carried off I looked at 

 my watch ; it was 1.15. 



I will not attempt to describe what my feelings were ; they 

 were the more unpleasant that I felt to blame for having ex- 

 posed my men to the risk after being warned. The whole 

 thing was ghastly, and I felt helpless. The men came to my 

 fire, and we sat there for the rest of the night. At last the 

 morning dawned, and I followed — Juma alone accompanying 

 me — the horribly suggestive trail, faintly discernible along a 

 glade in the edge of the forest ; and we soon saw, by the 

 vultures and ravens already settling, where the remains were. 

 This was also a proof that the lion had gone. I will not give 

 further details of the revolting sight, I could hardly bear to look 

 at it myself The lion had evidently been gone some time, as 

 his track was not visible in the wet grass ; he had apparently 

 entered the forest close by, but no spoor could be seen. 



Returning, we found the dejected porters anxious to be off 

 I felt it to be degrading to leave without any further attempt 

 to avenge my man's death ; but it was clear that the men 

 would not stay. Nor could I ask them to sleep another night 

 there (without which there was nothing to be done), for it was 

 my duty to consider the safety of my living followers more 

 than the memory of the one already dead. It was true, as 

 they pointed out, that we had no tools with which we could 

 make, in one day, any safe structure in which they could sleep. 

 Juma endorsed their protest against waiting : " We shall all 

 die, master ! What can we do for him who has finished dying ? 



