Even though the narrator soon realizes that killing the animal is unnecessary, he is surrounded by a large crowd of natives. He, an Englishman, believes that if he fails to kill the animal, he will look like a fool. This can set a dangerous precedent for the colonizers. Therefore, even though he does not want to, he believes he needs to shoot the animal. It is likely that this story was meant to be a critique towards the imperialism of Great Britain.
