LEOPARDS AND PANTHERS. 107 



As we could discover no old marks, he must 

 have carried off the others by a direct leap over the 

 wall, an effort requiring extraordinary strength 

 and activity. I have called it a leopard, but I 

 rather think it was a panther, an animal larger 

 than a leopard. 



On another occasion, a native doctor informed 

 me that a tiger had just killed a yearling bullock 

 close to his house, and that he was still in a 

 rhw* field at the back of the town, and eagerly 

 solicited me to go and kill him. I went to the 

 guard-house, and four soldiers immediately vo- 

 lunteered to accompany me. A number of people 

 with arms and noisy instruments were already as- 

 sembled at the place, to drive him out of the 

 field. We took our station on a bank, between 

 the field and jungle, and I directed two only of 

 the soldiers to fire at him when I gave the signal, 

 and the other two to reserve their fire, lest he 

 should attack us ; which precaution, together 

 with my second barrel, I thought sufficient to en- 

 sure our keeping him off, if we did not kill him. 

 The people beat through the field twice, without 



* Rhur is a kind of vetch, a species of Lupin that grows 

 on a shrub from four to six feet high. 



