184 THROUGH GASA LAND. 



both in feature and attitude. At length the weird 

 yell was again repeated. No longer could I suppress 

 my inquisitiveness, thus I asked him for informa- 

 tion. 



" Tigers (leopards) all the same as man and wife ; 

 both have fight, then make it up. He give woman 

 whipping, woman scratch his hair out ; we'll see in 

 the morning." 



These two fiends fought all night ; their " skirrls " 

 and yells disturbed the whole animal creation that 

 surrounded them, even the owls and night-jars 

 joining with the baboons in keeping up the lugu- 

 brious fracas. 



My poor little derelict trembled and cowered 

 closer to me. Who could blame the child ? Even 

 I myself had a strange quiver pass through me, as 

 one is said to have when a person treads upon the 

 place that is destined for his grave. I can quite 

 pardon people for being superstitious when they can 

 find no elucidation of strange and terrible noises, 

 especially if they have the slightest resemblance to 

 the human voice, and the yelling of these panthers 

 certainly had this, but it was to that of a maniac's in 

 his worst stage of raving. I suppose it was a break 

 in the monotony that loosened Sunday's tongue, and 

 led me to ask him regarding the superstitions of his 

 countrymen. After a pause he narrated a wonderful 

 story, an outline of which I had heard before. It 

 was to this effect : — 



