JUJA FARM; HIPPO AND LEOPARD 115 



approached to try and get the leopard out. Of course none 

 of the beaters had guns; their function was merely to make 

 a disturbance and rouse the game, and they were cautioned 

 on no account to get into danger. But the leopard did not 

 wait to be driven. Without any warning, out he came and 

 charged straight at Kermit, who stopped him when he was 

 but six yards off with a bullet in the forepart of the body; 

 the leopard turned, and as he galloped back Kermit hit him 

 again, crippling him in the hips. The wounds were fatal, 

 and they would have knocked the fight out of any animal 

 less plucky and savage than the leopard; but not even in 

 Africa is there a beast of more unflinching courage than 

 this spotted cat. The beaters were much excited by the 

 sight of the charge and the way in which it was stopped, 

 and they pressed jubilantly forward, too heedlessly; one 

 of them, who was on McMillan's side of the thicket, went 

 too near it, and out came the wounded leopard at him. 

 It was badly crippled or it would have got the beater at 

 once; as it was, it was slowly overtaking him as he ran 

 through the tall grass, when McMillan, standing on an 

 ant-heap, shot it again. Yet, in spite of having this third 

 bullet in it, it ran down the beater and seized him, worrying 

 him with teeth and claws; but it was weak because of its 

 wounds, and the powerful savage wrenched himself free, 

 while McMillan fired into the beast again; and back it 

 went through the long grass into the thicket. There was a 

 pause, and the wounded beater was removed to a place of 

 safety, while a messenger was sent on to us to bring up 

 the Boer dogs. But while they were waiting, the leopard, 

 on its own initiative, brought matters to a crisis, for out it 

 came again straight at Kermit, and this time it dropped 



