The Man-Eaters of Tsavo, and Other East African Adventures

g with him any of his askaris (native soldiers) that he could spare. He replied accepting the invitation, and told me to expect him about dinner-time on December 2, which turned out to b

ordinary story I did not believe in the least, as by this time the coolies-never remarkable for bravery-were in such a state of fright that if they caught sight of a hyena or a baboon, or even a dog, in the bush, they were sure

a crib made of sleepers which I had built on a big girder close to a camp which I thought was likely to be attacked. Soon after settling down at my post, I was surprised to hear the man-eaters growling and purring and crunching up bones about seventy yards from the crib. I could not understand what they had found to eat, as I had heard no commotion in the camps, and I knew by bitter experience that every meal the brutes obtained from us was announced by shrieks and up

where I had last heard them. On the way, whom should I meet but my missing

om?" I exclaimed. "Why didn't yo

fellow when you invite him to

at's up?

urs nearly did for me las

have dreamed it!" I

howed me his back. "That's not m

, showing red and angry through the torn cloth. Without further parley, I hurried him off to my tent, and bathed and dressed

ng Whitehead over like a ninepin, and tearing his back in the manner I had seen. Fortunately, however, he had his carbine with him, and instantly fired. The flash and the loud report must have dazed the lion for a second or two, enabling Whitehead to disengage himself; but the next instant the brute pounced like lightning on the unfortunate Abdullah, with whom he at once made off. All that the poor fellow could say was: "

e had by this time spread far and wide, and the most elaborate precautions were taken, his men being posted on the most convenient trees near every camp. Several other officials had also come up on leave to join in the chase, and each

t nine o'clock, when to my great satisfaction the intense stillness was suddenly broken by the noise of the door of the tr

e minutes-not, indeed, until Mr. Farquhar, whose post was close by, shouted at them and cheered them on-did they at all recover themselves. Then when at last they did begin to fire, they fired with a vengeance-anywhere, anyhow. Whitehead and I were at right angles to the direction in which they should have shot, and yet their bullets came whizzing all round us. Altogether they fired over a score of shots, and in the end succeeded only in blow

but though we heard their growls from time to time, we never succeeded in actually coming up with them. Of the whole party, only Farquhar managed to catch a momentary glimpse of one as it bounded over a bush. Two days more w