XII THE SNOW LEOPARD 187 



It was just half-past eight when I took my seat. 

 Clouds were about, and it rained off and on during the 

 day. After four hours, I made up my mind that the 

 animal would not come out till evening, so I went to my 

 tent and had breakfast. About two o'clock I resumed 

 my watch, and a very cold, wet watch it proved, for 

 numerous thunderstorms broke before evening. 



When it was getting dusk and I was becoming hope- 

 less, I suddenly saw a dirty white object moving 

 noiselessly up to the kill, and became aware that the 

 leopard was before me. The animal came on slowly, look- 

 ing up and around suspiciously several times. I pushed 

 the Lee-Metford softly through the branches of the 

 screen, and endeavoured to bring the sights to bear. But 

 the bead of the foresight was unfortunately white, and 

 when on the body of the leopard, which was also white, 

 disappeared altogether. The screen also tended to 

 obscure the back-sight. I pushed the rifle forwards and 

 pulled it back more than once, endeavouring to get the 

 sights properly aligned, but could not manage it. Mean- 

 time the leopard had pulled the kill slightly up the bank, 

 and had sat down facing me, bunched up in a heap just 

 as a cat sits before a fire. Consequently it was in the 

 worst position for a shot, but the light was failing fast, 

 and so taking as good an aim as I could manage under 

 the difficult circumstances, I pressed the trigger. The 

 leopard sprang up the hill and behind a bush in response 

 to the shot, and, slipping in another cartridge, I stood up 

 beyond the screen and took a rapid shot at where I 

 thought he was. He went up the bank, and I fired a 

 third shot as he disappeared amongst the rocks. 



