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 jirma, 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 grass and then dragged 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.’ 7 
“ 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 
