30 WILD LIFE UNDER THE EQUATOR. 
The house I lived in was at the extreme end of the 
village, and the villagers were very kind to me. 
One night I heard a great cackling of my fowls, who 
perched on a tree near my hut, and soon after I heard 
them flying away in every direction. I jumped from 
my couch and opened my door, thinking some one was 
ENCOUNTER WITH A LEOPARD, 
trying to steal some of them. The moon was in its last 
quarter, so it was not dark as I stepped into the yard, 
when lo! I was struck with terror to find myself face to 
face with a tremendous leopard! How big he looked! 
J was so astonished that for the space of thirty seconds— 
which seemed to me to be minutes—or perhaps more, I 
did not stir a step. I looked at the leopard, which cer- 
