344 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



prowess cost him dear, for the now thoroughly enraged 

 cat made a dash forward, and with a sweep of her paw 

 gave Macguire such wounds that he could scarcely 

 crawl from the scene of the accident. If this continued 

 longer, I clearly saw that not one of my curs would he 

 left, so I advanced to get a clear shot, and so terminate 

 the matter. This was difficult, as the dogs always kept 

 between me and the game, hut I continued to approach 

 closer and closer. However, the panther had singled me 

 for its next victim ; with a couple of bounds it cleared 

 the yelping hounds, and in a moment would have been 

 on me, but that a snap shot stopped it in its charge ; as, 

 maimed and incapacitated for further injury, it bit and 

 clawed the dust, I gave it a second barrel at a short range, 

 and thus ended the fracas. 



With the exception of the buffalo, this is the most 

 dangerous animal that can be encountered : its activity 

 is surprising, and its vitality unequalled. Moreover, it 

 exceeds all other animals by its audacity at night in 

 approaching an encampment, when dogs are its favourite 

 prey. Horses also are among its principal victims, 

 especially colts, and many are the inhabitants of 

 Soshong who have justly to complain of the serious 

 damage they have suffered at its hands. 



Rocks and coppies are the favourite resort of the 

 leopard : never before or since have I found it on the 

 open velt. The animal just killed was as large as a 

 two-year-old lion cub, exceedingly high on its legs, and 

 very light in the body more resembling my old friend, 

 the hunting-leopard, ' or cheetah, of India, than any of 

 the species I have previously met in Africa. Its body 

 was beautifully marked, each primrose having a clearly- 

 defined yellow centre. 



