mi THE LEOPARD 173 



as we had not been observed while advancing through the 

 scattered bush. 



The cheetah lost not a moment, but springing lightly to the 

 ground, it was at full speed, and within 50 yards before the 

 unwary buck perceived it. Taken by surprise, instead of bound- 

 ing off in mad retreat, this gallant little buck lowered its sharp- 

 pointed horns and stood on the defence against the onset of its 

 fierce antagonist. This was a pretty but a pitiable sight, as I 

 knew that the odds were terribly against the buck ; but in another 

 instant the actual encounter took place, and I was surprised to see 

 how well the plucky buck conducted the defence. It actually 

 charged the advancing cheetah, and stopped its rush. The cheetah 

 held back, and again the buck rushed in ; but as we advanced, the 

 poor little beast was evidently frightened at the people, and it 

 turned to run. The moment that the cheetah saw its opportunity, 

 it sprang forward ; we saw the blow of the paw, delivered as quick 

 as lightning upon the right haunch, and the gallant little buck 

 was on its back, with its throat hopelessly throttled in the 

 cheetah's jaws. 



We were sorry for this termination, as I should like to have 

 witnessed the result, had we not disturbed the fight by our 

 presence. The keepers did not regard the affair in the same light, 

 as they declared the cheetah might have been injured severely by 

 the horns, but that eventually it would have killed the black-buck. 



In a couple of days we had killed a number of these beautiful 

 animals, but I became tired of the sport, as the affair was invari- 

 ably over in a couple of minutes. One thing was certain, the 

 cheetahs were first-rate, and there was none of the skulking and 

 slinking back, which I had read of as characteristic of the hunting 

 leopard. 



This style of hunting must naturally depend upon the condition 

 of the ground. We had hunted the localities that were in favour 

 of the cheetah, when scattered bush admitted of a tolerably close 

 approach ; but after a couple of days we had scared the black-buck 

 to such a degree that they entirely forsook the sparse covert, and 

 took to the bare open plain, where it was simply impossible to 

 approach them unobserved. This intensified the pleasure, as 

 hitherto the cheetahs had triumphed in almost every hunt. 



I accordingly suggested that we should confine our party to 

 three mounted persons and three carts, with of course the same 

 number of cheetahs, and endeavour to obtain some real coursing 

 upon the open plain. 



We started. There was hardly a bush upon the wide expanse 



