The two wounded
coolies were left where they lay, a piece of torn tent
having fallen over them
;
and in this position the
doctor and I found them on our arrival soon after dawn next morning. We at once decided to move
the hospital closer to the main camp;
a fresh site
was prepared, a stout hedge built round the
enclosure, and all the patients were moved in before
nightfall.
As I had heard that lions generally visit recently
deserted camps, I decided to sit up all night in the vacated boma in the hope of getting an opportunity
of bagging one of them
;
but in the middle of my
lonely vigil I had the mortification of hearing shrieks
and cries coming from the direction of the new
hospital, telling me only too plainly that our
dreaded foes had once more eluded me. Hurrying
to the place at daylightI found that one of the lions
had jumped over the newly erected fence and had
carried off the hospital bhisti (water-carrier), and
that several other coolies had been unwilling
witnesses of the terrible scene which took place
within the circle of light given by the big camp fire.

Chapter 3