He Had Died
Of Shock At Being Deserted By His Companions.
From this time matters gradually became
worse and worse.
Hitherto, as a rule, only
one of the man-eaters had made the attack and
had done the foraging, while the other waited
outside in the bush; but now they began to
change their tactics, entering the bomas together
and each seizing a victim. In this way two
Swahili porters were killed during the last week
of November, one being immediately carried off
and devoured. The other was heard moaning
for a long time, and when his terrified companions
at last summoned up sufficient courage to go to
his assistance, they found him stuck fast in the
bushes of the boma, through which for once the
lion had apparently been unable to drag him.
He was still alive when I saw him next morning,
but so terribly mauled that he died before he could
be got to the hospital.
Within a few days of this the two brutes made
a most ferocious attack on the largest camp in the
section, which for safety's sake was situated within
a stone's throw of Tsavo Station and close to
a Permanent Way Inspector's iron hut. Suddenly
in the dead of night the two man-eaters
burst in among the terrified workmen, and even
from my boma, some distance away, I could
plainly hear the panic-stricken shrieking of the
coolies. Then followed cries of "They've taken
him; they've taken him," as the brutes carried off
their unfortunate victim and began their horrible
feast close beside the camp.
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