Pelts 



man should still think so badly of his powers as 

 to imagine he would be taken in by that ! 



Even ' spots ' has his uses, however ; for does he 

 not form a source of perennial delight and hope to 

 every subaltern in the country ? Do not they 

 in their hundreds sit up for him in all sorts of 

 weather, in all sorts of curious situations, the 

 luckless, but at the same time cute, goat tied 



Whilst ' spots ' sits on his haunches at the edge of the jungle. 



to a stake below them, their rifle on their knees, 

 and high hope in their hearts that this time at 

 least success will be theirs, and that the pard will 

 come out to be shot ; whilst he, the pard, sits 

 on his haunches at the edge of the jungle, 150 

 yards or so away, cleans his face with his paw, 

 and looks at the whole of the preparations with 

 an amused grin of appreciation and pity for the 

 poor deluded fool in the tree ! 



The leopard is common throughout India, 



263 



