A BLACK PANTHER ON THE STALK 



Rounding a point a little further on, the "shikari" 

 thought he saw something moving on a hill about half 

 a mile away, and Jones, putting up his glasses, made out 

 a herd of does about one hundred in number and 

 amongst them, to his delight, eight saddle-backs, or bucks. 

 Unfortunately a valley lay between, and the wind, too, 

 being unfavourable, necessitated making a long detour, 

 which occupied much time and entailed another long, 

 stiff climb to gain the summit of the hill nearest to that 

 held by the herd. 



At length, approaching against the wind, they had come 

 sufficiently near to risk a shot, when the " shikari," touching 

 his master's arm, pointed to a long black object on some 

 rising ground a hundred yards beyond the herd. That 

 it was an animal of some kind seemed evident, for 

 it was moving. " What can it be ? " thought Jones, as 

 putting up his glasses he focussed them on the object. 

 The next moment he had nearly dropped the costly 

 instrument, his hand trembling with excitement at what 

 it had revealed for there, crouched flat almost with the 

 ground, and its tail waving gently from side to side, was a 

 magnificent black panther apparently, like himself, stalk- 

 ing the unsuspecting herd. 



Slowly and stealthily, taking advantage of every bush 

 and boulder in its path, it was gradually, but surely, 

 lessening its distance from the goats for the beast, with 

 the proverbial cunning of its kind, was approaching them 

 at right angles to the direction of the wind. 



It would have been an interesting sight to any one, 

 this glimpse of wild-beast life behind the scenes, but for 

 Jones it had a special, though tantalizing, fascination, for 

 here was the very animal he had coveted so long, displayed 

 in all its beauty, and yet he seemed no nearer to securing 

 the tempting trophy. 



Enraptured with the sight, he kept the glasses fixed 

 upon the beast, cudgelling his brains the while to evolve 

 some scheme by which he might approach it nearer and 

 unseen, when suddenly the animal ceased its stealthy 

 movement, and peering inquiringly behind, appeared to be 

 watching something in the valley down below. 



" He is waiting for the mist to cover his advance," 



181 



