Next morningI found that one of the brutes had
broken into a tent at Railhead Camp whence we had
heard the commotion during the night and had made
off with a poor wretch who was lying there asleep.
After a night's rest, therefore, I took up my position
in a suitable tree near this tent. I did not at all like
the idea of walking the half-mile to the place after
dark, but all the same I felt fairly safe, as one of my
men carried a bright lamp close behind me. He in
his turn was followed by another leading agoat, which
I tied under mytree in the hope that the lion might be
tempted to seize it instead of a coolie. A steady
drizzle commenced shortly after I had settled down
to my night of watching, and I was soon thoroughly
chilled and wet. I stuck to my uncomfortable post,
however, hoping to get a shot, but I well remember
the feeling of impotent disappointmentI experi-
enced when about midnightI heard screams and
cries and a heartrending shriek, which told me that
the man-eaters had again eluded meand had claimed
another victim elsewhere.
At this time the various camps for the workmen
were very scattered, so that the lions had a range of
some eight miles on either side of Tsavo to work
and as their tactics seemed to be to break into
upon;
a different camp each night, it was most difficult to
forestall them.

Chapter 2