224 THE LION AND' OTHER BEASTS OF PREY 



to seek for any game I might find. After riding al^out a mile along 

 the river's green bank, I came suddenly upon an old male leopard, 

 lying under the shade of a thorn grove, and panting from the great 

 heat. Although I was within sixty yards of him, he had not heard the 

 horse's tread. I thought he was a lioness, and, dismounting, took a rest 

 in my saddle on the Old Gray, and sent a bullet into him. He sprang 

 to his feet and ran half way down the river's bank, and stood to look 

 about him, when I sent a second bullet into his person, and he dis- 

 appeared over the bank. The ground being very dangerous, I did not 

 disturb him by following then, but I at once sent Ruyter back to camp 

 for the dogs. Presently he returned with Wolf and Boxer, very much 

 done up with the sun. I rode forward, and, on looking over the bank, 

 the leopard started up and sneaked off alongside of the tall reeds, and 

 was instantly out of sight. I fired a random shot from the saddle to 

 encourage the dogs, and shouted to them ; they, however, stood looking 

 stupidly around, and would not take up his scent at all. I led them over 

 his spoor, again and again, but to no purpose; the dogs seemed quite 

 stupid, and yet they were Wolf and Boxer, my two best. 



"At length I gave it up as a lost affair, and was riding down the 

 river's bank, when I heard Wolf give tongue behind me, and, galloping- 

 back, found him at bay with the leopard, immediately beneath where 

 I had fired at him; he was very severely wounded, and had slipped 

 down into the river's bed and doubled back, w^hereby he had thrown 

 out both the dogs and myself. As I approached, he flew out upon WoU 

 and knocked him over, and then, running up the bed of the river, took 

 shelter in a thick bush: Wolf, however, followed him, and at this 

 moment mv other dogs came up, having heard the shot, and bayed 

 him fiercely. He sprang out upon them, and then crossed the river's 

 bed, taking shelter beneath some large tangled roots on the opposite 

 bank. As he crossed the river, I put a third bullet into him, firing 

 from the saddle, and. as soon as he came to bay, I gave him a fourth, 

 which finished him. This leopard was a very fine old male; in the 

 conflict, the unfortunate Alert was wounded, as usual, getting his face 

 torn open; he was still going upon three legs, with all his l)reast laid 

 bare by the first water-buck. 



"In the evening I directed my Hottentots to watch a fine pool in 



