HUNTING & SHOOTING IN CEYLON 



meant to investigate matters. I thought since that the cub 

 was on its way to a pool of water, about 50 yards to my 

 right, for a drink ; but it seemed such an odd occurrence, a 

 small cub like that wandering about alone, that I never 

 thought for a moment it was a leopard cub. 



Since the above experience, with the exception of the 

 water-hole incident previously related, where I and my 

 companion each missed our shot, I have only had one close 

 interview with a leopard, and a very unexpected one it 

 was, too. 



Fred Brockman and I were out on a trip together, and 

 we were staying for the time in Diwulankadawela village in 

 Tamankaduwa, a fairly good centre for a trip. One morn- 

 ing, as we were returning from an unsuccessful round, 

 traversing pleasant " park " country, we saw on our left 

 some does and a sizable buck about 150 yards away. 



Having each only a " Paradox " with us at the time, I 

 made a sprint towards the deer as they were trotting away, 

 and reaching a tree leant against it and took a hurried 

 shot at the buck, which was going end on. I do not think 

 I hit it, but we all followed up on the chance, as the deer 

 disappeared in some small jungle. I was quietly walking 

 along some distance from the others, in some thickish 

 scrub, keeping my eyes and ears open, when something 

 made me glance at a small ant-hill just visible in the bush 

 about 6 feet from me, and there, to my surprise, I saw a 

 leopard crouched, dozing at the foot of it, so close I could 

 almost have touched him with my gun muzzle. 



There were bushes, twigs, and branches everywhere, and 

 in throwing my gun to the shoulder the barrel caught a 

 twig, which, with the movement, was quite sufficient to 

 attract the leopard's attention, and it disappeared round the 

 ant-hill like a shadow, my snap-shot missing it clean. I 



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