150 Wild Beasts 



of bushes, to enter which would have been dangerous. 

 He had not gone many yards, however, when with true 

 native perversity he struck well into the middle of the 

 cover, and stumbled right upon the panther, which to his 

 no small dismay sprang from a bush only a few feet in 

 front of him. . . . The brute suddenly appeared before 

 us, going at a great rate through the underbrush. As it 

 flashed across a small open space we all took snap shots, 

 none of which took effect, and the animal dashed into 

 a deep ravine and disappeared." Nothing now remained 

 except to drive the game ; that is to say, post the guns 

 at a point where the beast would most probably attempt 

 to break out, and cause the beaters to advance towards it. 

 This was done, the signal given, and " the perfect stillness 

 was instantly replaced by a wild shrieking, the rushing 

 sound of falling rocks, and a waving about of people and 

 herbage as though the whole mountain were about to 

 slide into the valley beneath. No panther could resist 

 such a pressing invitation to move as this was, and our 

 friend accordingly started off at full gallop for other 

 quarters," which he again reached without being hit, and 

 presently the report came that the game had taken refuge 

 in a dense clump of cactus on top of the hill. While 

 messengers were despatched for rockets to drive it out, 

 the party agreed to take lunch, and the " tiffin basket " 

 was placed on the shady side of that impenetrable cover 

 where the panther lay. 



" For a few moments," continues Colonel Barras, " we sat 

 quite still. Then it occurred to us to try and peep through 

 into the centre of the mass of cactus to see if we could 



