AMONGST THE ROCKS. 337 



suddenly pointed upwards to the panther lying under an overhanging rock, 

 on the shady side of a cluster of rocks, and surveying us, and the country 

 below, from his comfortable and secure position. He looked very fierce and 

 beautiful through my field-glasses ; but thinking I should have more leisure 

 to admire him after I had shot him, if peradventure such good fortune was 

 to attend my efforts, I walked on with the men as if we had not observed 

 him — a point on which many animals are very sagacious — and when out 

 of sight we held a consultation as to what we should do. It was decided 

 that two of the men should drive some donkeys, which happened to be pro- 

 ceeding along the village path laden with salt, past the panther's position in 

 full view, whilst I and the native shikarie stalked him from above. 



Would that I had gone by myself, as the fellow spoilt the first act of the 

 sport. I had nearly reached the point from which I expected to get a shot 

 at the coveted animal when the shikarie clinked my spare gun against a 

 rock he was climbing. I ran hastily forward, but only caught a glimpse of 

 the panther as he jumped down amongst the boulders below. Presently I 

 heard the spare men beneath hallooing amongst the lower rocks. I ran 

 forward as best I could over the uneven ground till I came near them, 

 when I found that, seeing the panther get off the rock, they had run forward 

 to the cave for which they knew he would make, and they had now got 

 on to a large rock and were hallooing and waving their cloths to keep him 

 out of his retreat. The panther had come up, but fearing to enter the cave, 

 was sitting behind a rock at some distance. I could not see him from 

 where I stood, though the men were able to do so. I had been told that 

 he had another cave on the top of the hill, to get to which I knew he must 

 come directly past where I was standing, so I took up my position above a 

 wide, smooth, sloping surface of rock, across which he must pass ; and I 

 knew that being thus above him I should at least keep him back, as if I 

 failed to kill him with my first shots, when wounded he would be more 

 likely to roll down the rock than to come at me. 



I now called to the men to frighten him away, if possible towards me ; 

 but not an inch would he move. He evidently considered me the dangerous 

 person, partly perhaps from my not making a noise like the others, as also 

 from deliberately standing in his path. Getting tired at last of waiting, but 

 still against my better judgment, I agreed to the request of the men on the 

 rock to join them and shoot the panther from their position. No sooner 

 had I left the way clear and commenced to descend, than up the panther 

 got, and made towards where I had been. The men screamed, " He's going ! 

 he's going ! " I heard he was, though he was partly hidden by a few bushes 

 that grew near the spot. I turned and endeavoured to regain my position, 



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