had scarcely
traced the blood for more than a few paces when, on rounding a bush, I
was startled to see a huge lion right in front of me, seemingly alive
and crouching for a spring. On looking closer, however, I satisfied
myself that he was really and truly stone-dead, whereupon my followers
crowded round, laughed and danced and shouted with joy like children,
and bore me in triumph shoulder-high round the dead body. These
thanksgiving ceremonies being over, I examined the body and found that
two bullets had taken effect--one close behind the left shoulder,
evidently penetrating the heart, and the other in the off hind leg. The
prize was indeed one to be proud of; his length from tip of nose to tip
of tail was nine feet eight inches, he stood three feet nine inches
high, and it took eight men to carry him back to camp. The only blemish
was that the skin was much scored by the boma thorns through which he
had so often forced his way in carrying off his victims.

The news of the death of one of the notorious man-eaters soon spread
far and wide over the country: telegrams of congratulation came pouring
in, and scores of people flocked from up and down the railway to see
the skin for themselves.

CHAPTER IX

THE DEATH OF THE SECOND MAN-EATER

It must not be imagined that with the death of this lion our troubles
at Tsavo were at an end; his companion was still at large, and very
soon began to make us unpleasantly aware of the fact. Only a few nights
elapsed before he made an attempt to get at the Permanent Way
Inspector, climbing up the steps of his bungalow and prowling round the
verandah. The Inspector, hearing the noise and thinking it was a
drunken coolie, shouted angrily "Go away!" but, fortunately for him,
did not attempt to come out or to open the door. Thus disappointed in
his attempt to obtain a meal of human flesh, the lion seized a couple
of the Inspector's goats and devoured them there and then.

On hearing of this occurrence, I determined to sit up the next night
near the Inspector's bungalow. Fortunately there was a vacant iron
shanty close at hand, with a convenient loophole in it for firing from;
and outside this I placed three full-grown goats as bait, tying them to
a half-length of rail, weighing about 250 lbs. The night passed
uneventfully until just before daybreak, when at last the lion turned
up, pounced on one of the goats and made off with it, at the same time
dragging away the others,