gradual sinking of his proud
bearing, the doubt with which he began to regard Castleton--these were
proofs of his fears.

"I have faced charging tigers and elephants in India, and charging
rhinos and lions in Africa," began Castleton, his quick and fluent
speech so different from the drawl of his ordinary conversation; "but I
never was frightened but once. It will not do to hunt those wild beasts
if you are easily balled up. This adventure I have in mind happened in
British East Africa, in Uganda. I was out with safari, and we were in a
native district much infested by man-eating lions. Perhaps I may as well
state that man-eaters are very different from ordinary lions. They are
always matured beasts, and sometimes--indeed, mostly--are old. They
become man-eaters most likely by accident or necessity. When old they
find it more difficult to make a kill, being slower, probably, and with
poorer teeth. Driven by hunger, they stalk and kill a native, and, once
having tasted human blood, they want no other. They become absolutely
fearless and terrible in their attacks.

"The natives of this village near where we camped were in a terrorized
state owing to depredations of two or more man-eaters. The night of
our arrival a lion leaped a stockade fence, seized a native from
among others sitting round a fire, and leaped out again, carrying the
screaming fellow away into the darkness. I determined to kill these
lions, and made a permanent camp in the village for that purpose. By
day I sent beaters into the brush and rocks of the river-valley, and
by night I watched. Every night the lions visited us, but I did not see
one. I discovered that when they roared around the camp they were not so
liable to attack as when they were silent. It was indeed remarkable how
silently they could stalk a man. They could creep through a thicket
so dense you would not believe a rabbit could get through, and do it
without the slightest sound. Then, when ready to charge, they did so
with terrible onslaught and roar. They leaped right into a circle of
fires, tore down huts, even dragged natives from the low trees. There
was no way to tell at which point they would make an attack.

"After ten days or more of this I was worn out by loss of sleep. And one
night, when tired out with watching, I fell asleep. My gun-bearer
was alone in the tent with me. A terrible roar awakened me, then an
unearthly scream pierced right into my ears. I always slept with my