THE LION A BENEFACTOR, 
231 
viz., he acts as their provider; for, watching the 
movements of the beast, they are frequently enabled, 
as it is said, to possess themselves of such portions of 
his victim as he may not have had time or inclination 
to devour, or, it may be, of the carcase whilst still 
intact. 
On a certain occasion, I myself was an eye¬ 
witness to an act of this description. 
Returning somewhat late one very dark night 
from Mr. Rath’s house to our encampment, I was 
suddenly startled by sounds of the most painful 
description, not unlike the stifled groanings of a 
person who is on the point of drowning. It at once 
struck me that the lions had surprised some unfor¬ 
tunate native whilst lying in ambush near the water 
for wild animals that came there to drink. Whilst 
listening in anxious suspense to the wailings in 
question—which gradually became more and more 
faint—there reached me from another quarter a 
confused sound of human voices and of hurried 
footsteps. This only tended to confirm my first 
impression; but, from the impenetrable darkness, 
I could not ascertain anything with certainty. Being 
unable, however, to endure the suspense any longer, 
and regardless of the danger to which I exposed 
myself, I caught up my fowling-piece, which hap¬ 
pened to be loaded with ball, and set out in the 
direction whence the wailings — now fast dying 
away—proceeded. 
I had not gone very far before I fell in with a 
number of natives, who were hastening in the 
same direction as myself. 
