THE LEOPARD AND THE CHEETAH 245 



within half a mile of cover which it desires to reach, and a 

 horseman seeks to cut it off from one side, it will go two feet 

 to his one, and will probably reach the cover in safety. But 

 in a stern chase a hard rider on a good horse will run it down 

 in a mile or two. Kermit ran down seven in this manner. 

 Seemingly the cheetahs, on these occasions, never put out 

 their full speed, as when seeking to catch fleeing quarry. 

 They were content to gallop easily ahead of the galloping 

 horse, without spurting, until their wind was gone and it 

 was no longer possible to spurt. After a mile or two of 

 fast galloping, according to the start the cheetah had ob- 

 tained, the horse would be close up. Then the cheetah 

 would suddenly crouch flat on the ground. Apparently 

 when it did this it was completely done up, and it made no 

 further effort either to escape or charge, and was shot as it 

 lay. It is very rare for one to charge; but one did charge 

 Stewart Edward White, and with the utmost determina- 

 tion, too. 



Cheetahs are easily tamed, and make good-humored 

 pets. At Juja farm there were three, which Mrs. McMil- 

 lan used to lead about with a leash. They did not lead well, 

 but were friendly and unconcerned. When sitting down 

 they were so erect that they looked like monkeys rather 

 than dogs or cats. They uttered a very peculiar, bird-like 

 chirp, twisting their lips; when we first heard the chirp we 

 could not believe that it came from the cheetahs, and looked 

 everywhere for the bird. 



