198 DIARY OF A SPORTSMAN NATURALIST 



on that quiet, peaceful, grassy arena was instantaneous. As 

 the leopard lay tearing at the throat of his victim, startled 

 squeaks sprung from the throats of the spotted deer, hoarser 

 sounds from the sambhar, and two startled bellows from 

 the two spotted stags. 



A shot snapped out and the smaller stag bounded forward, 

 as a bullet whizzed close over his head, and made for the 

 forest. The big stag was already entering it unimpeded. 



I had turned my attention to the more dangerous animal 

 and the big head went scathless. 



At the sound of the smooth-bore the leopard sprang to 

 his feet snarling, and stood broadside on with his head 

 turned towards us. A rifle shot rang out and the beast 

 sprang into the air with a roar and made for the forest line. 

 A second shot, but the animal held on and the light was 

 bad. Crash ! the leopard had reached and bounded into 

 the long grass with a last snarl. 



I heard a groan as the leopard disappeared. It was 

 from the havildah, but whether at his own miss or not I 

 did not ask. 



The sounds of the leopard, undoubtedly badly wounded, 

 died away ; the deer in a maddened stampede were already 

 far away, and the grassy plain now darkening rapidly lay 

 tenantless, save for the dead body of the young doe. Over- 

 head the brightening stars winked down on this tragedy of 

 the forest. 



We got silently to our feet, listened intently for a few 

 minutes, and I then whispered to the orderly to reload the 

 empty barrel of the smooth-bore. I reloaded my rifle, 

 and this done, motioned my companion to the front and 

 signed to him to move cautiously. 



We had an anxious journey back to the camp. A wounded 

 leopard about in a dark jungle is no joke, and I think we both 

 had one of the worst half-hours we had had in our lives. 



To this day I have not been able to make up my mind 

 whether I was right in firing at the leopard. I feared 

 that the animal, hearing the havildah's gun and maddened 

 at being interrupted in his meal, might be about to charge, 

 and in the bad light thought I had better take the standing 

 shot. There was, also, that temptation which always 

 assails the sportsman never to let of! one of the larger cats 

 when he offers a decent chance. I fancy that I should act 

 in exactly the same way given another chance. 



