JUJA FARM; HIPPO AND LEOPARD 133 



ant-heap, shot it again. Yet, in spite of having this third 

 bullet in it, it ran down the beater and seized him, worrying 

 him with teeth and claws; but it was weak because of its 

 wounds, and the powerful savage wrenched himself free, 

 while McMillan fired into the beast again; and back it 

 went through the long grass into the thicket. There was a 



Kermit Roosevelt and the leopard 

 From a photograph by II'. .V. McMillan 



pause, and the wounded beater was removed to a place of 

 safety, while a messenger was sent on to us to bring up 

 the Boer dogs. But while they were waiting, the leopard, 

 on its own initiative, brought matters to a crisis, for out it 

 came again straight at Kermit, and this time it dropped 

 dead to Kermit's bullet. No animal could have shown 

 a more fearless and resolute temper. It was an old female, 

 but small, its weight being a little short of seventy pounds. 

 The smallest female cougar I ever killed was heavier than 

 this, and one very big male cougar which I killed in Colo- 



