to leave him and content himself with a share of his comrade's booty.
The man left behind was so badly mauled that he died before he could be
carried to the hospital tent.

No wonder that the poor workmen, wearied and worn by sleeplessness,
excitement, and fear of death, decided that this state of affairs must
come to an end. They struck. They said that they had come to Africa to
work at the railway, and not to supply food for lions. One fine day they
took a train by storm, put all their belongings into the carriages, took
their seats themselves, and went off to the coast. The courageous men
who remained with the Colonel passed the night in trees, in the station
water-tank, or in covered holes digged down within their tents.

On one occasion the Colonel had invited a friend to come up to Tsavo and
help him against the lions. The train was late, and it was dark when the
guest followed the path through the wood to the camp. He had a servant
with him, who carried a lantern. Half-way a lion rushed down on them
from a rise, tore four deep gashes in the Englishman's back, and would
have carried him off if he had not fired his carbine. Dazed with the
report, the lion loosed his hold and pounced on the servant. Next moment
he had vanished in the darkness with his prey.

A few days later a Suaheli came and said that the lion had seized an
ass, and was engaged in his meal not far away. Guided by the Suaheli,
the Colonel hastened up and could see from a distance the back of the
lion above the bushes. Unfortunately the guide stepped on a twig, and
the lion immediately vanished into impenetrable brushwood. Then the
Colonel ran back and called out all his men. Provided with drums, sheets
of metal and tin cans, they surrounded the thicket, and closed in with a
great noise, while the Colonel kept watch at the place where the animal
would probably come out. Quite right--there he came, huge and fierce,
angry at being disturbed. He came forward slowly, halting frequently,
and looking around. His attention was so taken up by the noise that he
did not notice the sportsman. When he was about thirteen yards off the
Colonel raised his double-barrelled rifle. The lion heard the movement,
struck his front claws into the ground, drew back on to his hind paws as
though to gather himself up for a spring, and snarled wickedly, showing
his murderous fangs. Then the Colonel took aim at the head, pressed the
trigger, and--the rifle missed fire!

F