HUNTING & SHOOTING IN CEYLON 



had disappeared, and I halted about 15 yards from it 

 whilst the old man began to look for " sign." I was stand- 

 ing at my ease with my rifle, uncocked, thrown across my 

 left arm, thinking of nothing in particular, when suddenly 

 the old man without a word turned and ran like a madman 

 past me towards the open park, his eyes bulging out with 

 terror. I gazed at him, uncomprehending, in surprise, when 

 something caught my eye, and, glancing towards the forest, 

 I saw a full-grown but small and thickset leopard emerge 

 from the jungle like a flash. It passed me at about 5 

 yards, perfectly silent, going not in leaps and bounds, but 

 belly to the ground like a greyhound, and, catching up to 

 the old man, sprang on to his back, the impetus knocking 

 the man down, so that they both rolled head over heels. 



Just before the leopard reached him he felt it coming 

 evidently, for he suddenly cringed a bit as he ran, which, I 

 verily believe, saved his life, otherwise the leopard, landing 

 on his back, would undoubtedly have put its teeth into the 

 back of his neck. 



The result was, however, that the leopard landed fair on 

 the man's back and shoulders, its fore-paws catching him 

 round the neck, and its head, with its murderous jaws wide 

 open, thus overshooting its mark, actually lay on top of the 

 man's head like a hideous cap I have the whole scene 

 vividly before me as I write, and can never forget the 

 extraordinary picture thus presented, though it only 

 occupied a few seconds of time. As I said before, the 

 shock knocked the old man down, and he rolled head 

 over heels, the leopard being shot off him by the fall, 

 also rolling head over heels beyond him. By this 

 time, of course, I had my rifle ready and was per- 

 fectly cool, as I expected the brute on rising would 

 go for the old man and thus give me a chance of 



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