Liberia *- 



straitened, he moved his little family out on to an elevated tract 

 of land nearly fifteen miles from every neighbouring community. 

 Though it seemed at first sight a rugged mountainous region, 

 there were to be seen many fertile parts dotted here and there 

 with forest and yielding nice rich pastures. Here all the wild 

 deer and other herbivorous animals were found to repair every 

 morning till mid-day, the time when they would retire under 

 some large tree to wait until the cool of the day. Havi no- 

 discovered the time of their grazing the Man placed a noose at 

 the mouth of each of their paths. Before dawn, however, a con- 

 vention was agreed to by the deer that they should all at daylight 

 proceed to the pasture in one great body. The Bushbuck was 

 then made the leader. Just before day, early in the morning, 

 they all arose and went to the field ; but when they arrived at 

 the entrance to the road where the snare was, the Bushbuck 

 got caught. When the others saw the buck kicking and 

 jumping and unable to get out, they all got frightened and ran. 



When daylight came, the Man went to his noose and on 

 approaching it found it had caught a large buck. Then he 

 took it to his wife and charged her that, as he was going for fire, 

 should the Leopard come before he got back, or in case she 

 heard him clear his throat and say " Ku Ku ! " she should 

 hide the meat ; for this was the sign of the Leopard's coming. 

 He then went to Leopard's house ; and Leopard asked him 

 what luck he had had. Man replied, " I got nothing." But 

 Leopard said, " 1 shall, however, return with you, if for no other 

 reason than the stroll." When they reached the Man's residence, 

 the Leopard passed quickly to the front premises, where the deer 

 had been imperfectly concealed by the woman, and exclaimed, 

 lt Hallo! here I have found my buck." But the Man said, 

 " No ! this is my buck I have just caught in my noose," and he 

 refused to give it up. Thereupon they all consented to have 



1086 



