THE LEOPARD 



The first time I ever saw one was when watching a 

 water-hole in the Alut-Oya at Kauduluwewa. My stage 

 was built overhanging the river bank, and perhaps 15 feet 

 above the dried-up bed of the river, which here passes 

 through pretty dense forest. There was no water visible, 

 the place being merely a depression in the sandy river bed, 

 and each animal as it came dug for water for itself, or 

 deepened a hole already dug by a former visitant. Thus 

 there were several holes dug here and there, some with 

 water lying at the bottom, and none of them more than 

 about 1 8 inches to 2 feet deep by 2 to 3 feet wide. I well 

 remember at one time, just before it became dusk, seeing no 

 less than eighteen bronze-wing pigeons down in one of these 

 holes, all drinking at the tiny puddle of water, so bunched 

 together that a single discharge of a shot-gun would prob- 

 ably have killed the lot. About 8 P.M., after I had killed 

 a couple of bears, I was listening intently to a slight rustling 

 going on in the jungle on the opposite bank of the stream, 

 here about 40 or 50 feet wide, when something made me 

 lean forward and look down into the river bed, where, to 

 my surprise, I saw a fine leopard about twenty yards away 

 up stream standing on a patch of white sand in clear moon- 

 light, offering a magnificent chance of a shot. Leaning 

 forward, having to shoot somewhat round the corner, I 

 fired at him with my " Paradox," and missed him clean ! 

 The leopard at the shot bounded up the bank on my left, 

 and went crashing through the jungle like a buffalo, 

 properly frightened but unhurt, as we found the bullet 

 next morning embedded in the sand, having, as we could 

 see by the footprints, evidently passed under his body. 



On another occasion I was watching at a rock-hole 

 in the jungle, my stage being in a tree above the rock 

 at one end of a long pool of water. About 9 P.M. I 



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