76 WILD LIFE IN NORTH CANARA. 



hundred yards before dropping. This 

 leopard neither stirred nor spoke after 

 he was hit, except that as the body was 

 being carried down the hill, half an hour 

 later, slung under a pole, the jaws 

 distended convulsively, and a deep 

 sound, half gurgle, half growl, issued 

 from the chest. The startled carriers 

 nearly dropped their load, but were 

 soon reassured that the creature was 

 really dead. 



I had found it difficult to prevent 

 the spearmen from spoiling the skin 

 by plunging their spears into the dead 

 leopard, and to show them there was 

 no life left in him, I laid hold of the tail 

 and shook it. " sahib ! don't do 

 that ! " they cried; " if you shake their 

 tails they always revive ! " 



