BURNING OUT A LEOPARD 



the river, moreover, was crowded with villagers, who had 

 come out to " see the fun," so we were sure if he broke at 

 all, it would be back to the original cover. We accordingly 

 took up our position facing the island, and, having collected 

 several bags of large stones, loaded them on the beating 

 elephants, and, sending them down to the water's edge, as 

 near as they dared to go, commenced a fusillade into the 

 jungle, each mahout throwing stone after stone into it till 

 his supply was exhausted, but without any result. We 

 then fired charges of No. 6 repeatedly into the scrub, but 

 that, too, had no effect. 



Suddenly one of our " shikaris " conceived the happy idea 

 of burning him out, and this plan was no sooner suggested 

 than adopted. We put the elephants in requisition again, 

 and, helped by the villagers, had soon collected a quantity 

 of dry reeds and jute stalks, which we tied roughly up into 

 large torches. Then, throwing some large branches, grass, 

 and reeds across the stream, made a temporary causeway 

 over the quicksand, sufficiently firm to bear the weight 

 of a man. By this bridge we crossed over some thirty men 

 under the protection of our rifles, each man carrying about 

 a dozen of the extemporized torches, and when all were 

 across we formed them up into line with torches alight, 

 and at a given signal they yelled with one accord, at the 

 same time throwing their lighted torches as far as they 

 could into the jungle, yelling all the time. The other 

 torches were now thrown in as fast as they could be lit, 

 and in a short time the whole jungle was ablaze, and the 

 flames roaring and crackling in a manner that was more 

 than feline nature could endure, and out rushed what we now 

 saw was a huge leopard, so close under H -'s elephant 

 that it swerved and spoilt his shot, though he managed 

 to get off both barrels. Being somewhat further off, my 

 elephant was steady, and gave me a better shot. Now, 

 thought I, was a chance for a trial of the L.M. I had 

 picked it up as the leopard rushed out, and, bringing it 

 quickly to the shoulder, fired just as he was about to enter 

 the original cover. He was going a tremendous pace, so 

 I pulled well in front of him ; then, telling the beaters to 

 beat back slowly, H and I urged our elephants on, and 

 took up our position at the isthmus connecting the two 



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