170 Wild Beasts 



less dimensions than the other variety], really not more 

 than five feet long, I believe, charged me three several 

 times up a bank to the very muzzle of my rifles (of which 

 I luckily had a couple), falling back each time to the shot, 

 but not thinking of trying to escape, and died at last at 

 my feet, with her teeth fixed in the root of a small tree. 



"Another jumped on my horse, while passing through 

 some long grass, before it was fired at at all ; and after 

 being kicked off, charged my groom and gun-carrier, who 

 barely escaped by fleeing for their lives, leaving my only 

 gun in possession of the leopard. I had to ride to canton- 

 ments to get another rifle, and gather together some 

 beaters. When we returned I took up my post on a rock 

 that overlooked the patch of grass, and the beaters had 

 scarcely commenced their noise when the leopard went at 

 them like an arrow. An accident would certainly have 

 happened this time had my shots failed to stop this devil 

 incarnate before she reached them. She had cubs in the 

 grass, which accounted for her fury ; but a tigress would 

 have abandoned them to their fate in a similar case. The 

 last I killed was a man-eater, that took up his post among 

 the high crops surrounding a village, and killed and 

 dragged in women and children who ventured out of the 

 place. He was a panther of the largest size, and had 

 been wounded by a shikari from a tree, . . . rendering 

 him incapable of killing game. I was a week hunting 

 him, as he was very careful not to show himself when 

 pursued, and at last I shot him in a cow-house into which 

 he had ventured, and killed several head of cattle before 

 the people had courage to shut the door." 



