134 DEATH OF THE BEAST. 



some beast of prey had seized upon one of them, I leaped, un- 

 dressed, out of my bed, and, gun in hand, hurried to the spot 

 whence the cries proceeded. The night was pitchy dark, 

 however, and I could distinguish nothing ; yet, in the hope 

 of frightening the intruder away, I shouted at the top of my 

 voice. In a few moments a torch was lighted, and we then 

 discerned the tracks of a leopard, and also large patches of 

 blood. On counting the dogs, I found that " Summer," the 

 best and fleetest of our kennel, was missing. As it was in 

 vain that I called and searched for him, I concluded that the 

 tiger had carried him away, and as nothing further could 

 be done that night, I again retired to rest : but the fate of 

 the poor animal continued to haunt me, and drove sleep away. 

 I had seated myself on the front chest of the wagon, when 

 suddenly the melancholy cries were repeated, and, on reach- 

 ing the spot, I found " Summer" stretched at full length 

 in the middle of a bush. Though the poor creature had sev- 

 eral deep wounds about his throat and chest, he at once rec- 

 ognized me, and, wagging his tail, looked wistfully in my 

 face. The sight sickened me as I carried him into the house, 

 where, in time, however, he recovered. 



The very next day " Summer" was revenged in a very un- 

 expected manner. Some of the servants had gone into the 

 bed of the river to chase away a jackal, when they suddenly 

 encountered a leopard in the act of springing at our goats, 

 which were grazing, unconscious of danger, on the rivers 

 bank. On finding himself discovered, he immediately took 

 refuge in a tree, where he was at once attacked by the men. 

 It was, however, not until he had received upward of sixteen 

 wounds — some of which were inflicted by poisoned arrows — 

 that life became extinct. I arrived at the scene of conflict 

 only to see him die. 



During the whole affair the men had stationed themselves 

 r»t the foot of the tree, to the branches of which the leopard 

 was pertipnHously clinging ; and, having expended nil their 



