64 
LION-HUNTING 
[CH. Ill 
Instantly that his back was turned, the lioness, who had 
really been in the first clump of brush, raced out after 
him, threw him down, and bit him again and again 
before she was driven off. One night we camped at the 
very spot where, a score of years before, a strange 
tragedy had happened. It was in the early days of the 
opening of the country, and an expedition was going 
towards Uganda. One of the officials in charge was 
sleeping in a tent with the flap open. There was an 
askari on duty ; yet a lion crept up, entered the tent, 
and seized and dragged forth the man. He struggled 
and made outcry; there was a rush of people, and the 
lion dropped his prey and bounded off. The man’s 
wounds were dressed, and he was put back to bed in his 
own tent; but an hour or two after the camp again 
grew still the lion returned, bent on the victim of whom 
he had been robbed; he re-entered the tent, seized the 
unfortunate wounded man with his great fangs, and 
this time made off with him into the surrounding dark¬ 
ness, killed and ate him. Not far from the scene of 
this tragedy another had occurred. An English officer 
named Stewart, while endeavouring to kill his first lion, 
was himself set on and slain. At yet another place we 
were shown where two settlers, Messrs. Lucas and 
Goldfinch, had been one killed and one crippled by a 
lion they had been hunting. They had been following 
the chase on horseback, and being men of bold nature, 
and having killed several lions, had become too daring. 
They hunted the lion into a small piece of brush, and 
rode too near it. It came out at a run, and was on 
them before their horses could get under way. Gold¬ 
finch was knocked over, and badly bitten and clawed ; 
Lucas went to his assistance, and was in his turn 
knocked over, and the lion then lay on him and bit him 
