292 LARGE GAME. CHAP. vi. 



but found that it had passed on, and in a few minutes 

 our guide rushed into a round patch of tambuti grass of 

 about twenty yards in diameter, and began to bark furi- 

 ously, while we placed ourselves on opposite sides, so as to 

 command a shot if the brute again broke. 



I had hardly taken up my position when there was a 

 rustle and a rush, and its long spotted body was flying 

 past me within a yard. It took me so much by surprise 

 that it had almost reached the nearest bushes, some 

 twenty yards off, before I could get my gun on it and fire, 

 but the answering growl made me hope that I had hit it, 

 and on crossing to the place we found blood dotting the 

 leaves and running down the blades of grass. The smell 

 of this so excited the dog that it went off in pursuit at 

 full speed, whereas it had hitherto been almost too careful 

 and slow, and in five or six minutes we heard it giving 

 tongue again. As we neared the spot, which was in thick 

 jungle, the angry cat-like spitting and snarling of the 

 leopard was distinctly audible. But when I got close and 

 could see the dog I could not place my eyes on the brute 

 itself, until I heard a shot from the hunter on my left, and 

 it suddenly fell struggling down from a branch of a tree 

 above me and scarcely three yards off. The dog rushed 

 instantly on it, but received such a blow as sent it back 

 howling, thus enabling me to get a clear shot, and plant 

 my two bullets in its chest. This nearly disabled it, and 

 the dog was able to keep its attention engaged until I had 

 reloaded, when another shot through the neck, breaking 

 the spine, killed it on the spot, and we found that it was a 

 large male, its size and the white spots in the centre of the 

 black proclaiming it as belonging to the common variety. 



