09 Lion Adventure by Willard Price Page A

Nobody saw it coming. It grabbed one man and made off with him. The man’s buddy attacked the lion with a crowbar. The lion knocked it out of his hands, leaped on him and broke his neck. He died instantly. Then the lion killed the other man and dragged him off into the woods.’
    ‘What kind of lion was it?’
    ‘A very large male with a black mane.’
    ‘I’m sorry we weren’t here,’ Hal said. ‘But when we saw the lion on the way to the village we felt we had to do something about it.’
    ‘I can understand that,’ Tanga admitted. ‘But I must say you are having a streak of very bad luck.’
    He went back to the station, shaking his head.

Chapter 11
Tin pans and elephants
    Walking with head bowed, Tanga almost collided with a tall young black. He looked up and recognized Basa of the village of Gula.
    Basa had not yet noticed him. His gaze was fixed upon the basket a hundred feet above. The boys were just climbing into it.
    A terrible hate was stamped on Basa’s face. If a look could kill, Hal and Roger would have fallen dead at that instant. Basa held a bow and on his back was a quiver of arrows. The dark brown stains on the shafts showed that the arrows were poisoned. The boys, confined to the basket, were sitting ducks for those arrows. But Tanga could not believe that the handsome young Negro was thinking of murder.
    But he smelled trouble. It was part of his job to avoid trouble. There were no police in this area. The station master was the only public official except for the district officer, King Ku. If there was any violence brewing in this young man’s mind Tanga should know about it.
    ‘Good morning, Basa. You look as if you didn’t like our white friends.’
    Basa saw him for the first time. He mumbled a reply and started to move away.
    ‘Wait a minute,’ said Tanga. ‘Is anything wrong?’
    Basa stared at him bitterly. ‘You ask me that? You know what happened.’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘My father. You know he was killed.’
    ‘Yes. A lion with a black mane killed him.’
    ‘No. It was those two.’ He pointed aloft. ‘They killed him.’
    ‘How do you make that out?’
    “The lion entered their tent. It was an easy shot. They could have killed it. They let it get away. It went into the next tent and got my father. They were to blame. They killed my father.’
    ‘Oh, come now,’ said Tanga, ‘You’re letting your hate run away with you. Their revolver was knocked out of reach. They did the best they could.’
    ‘With pancake flour?’ said Basa sarcastically. ‘What a way to fight a lion. No excuse you can make for them is good enough. Their neglect and stupidity killed my father. And they will have to pay for it.’
    Tanga laid his hand on the young man’s arm. ‘Basa, listen to reason. If you think you have any case against them, take it to court. Don’t appoint yourself judge and executioner.’
    ‘Court!’ sneered Basa. ‘You know very well that is not the way of our tribe. If a man is killed, his son must avenge his death. He cannot leave it to any court or judge or jury. He must do it himself. And if you have any respect for the customs of our people, you will not interfere.’
    ‘I respect your customs,’ Tanga said. ‘But let me warn you, if you make one move to carry out your threat I’ll put the handcuffs on you myself and you will be on your
    way to the Nairobi jail. Think it over. And try to change your mind about these boys.’
    ‘Why should I change my mind?’
    ‘I’ll give you a good reason. Did you realize that if it hadn’t been for Hal Hunt your father’s body would have been eaten by hyenas and jackals? His skeleton would be lying there now if Hunt had not come and told you what had happened. He made it possible for you to give your father a proper burial in your own village. Think about that. And remember that you have been educated. You belong to the new world of justice, not to the old world of vengeance. Now go, and don’t let me hear any