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 ? 
