chap. vi. LEOPARDS. 293 



On another occasion I came across two three-parts- 

 grown cubs of the smaller variety. It was near sunset, 

 but I was still following some buffalo which I had fired at 

 through a patch of jungle, when my eye was attracted by 

 something moving in front, and on standing still I soon 

 made out that it was a leopard. It was quite near me, 

 and as I could plainly see its spotted skin I might have 

 fired at once, but noticing that its progress would neces- 

 sarily bring it in a few moments into a small glade beyond, 

 I refrained and waited. As it emerged from the bushes 

 I saw that it was accompanied by another, and that neither 

 of them were full-grown, but before I had time to raise 

 my gun they began to roll and struggle together, playfully 

 growling just as two kittens might, springing up into 

 the air after their mock fight, and embracing the trunks 

 of the trees with their claws, arching their backs and 

 gambolling about in a way far too interesting for me to 

 disturb them, until I had watched them. It was a very 

 pretty scene, as this variety, whose regular black spots 

 stand out in marked contrast to their almost white skins, 

 are remarkably graceful in their movements. Sometimes 

 they would lie down facing each other, their small heads 

 laid flat between their fore-paws, and remain motion- 

 less for several seconds, then long bushy tails, alternately 

 marked with white and black rings, alone betraying by 

 their waving motion that they were not asleep; then they 

 would jump up, springing round each other and striking 

 out with then paws, one even performing the old kitten 

 trick of trying to catch its own tail. At last one sprung 

 into the jungle, and fearing lest the other should follow 

 its example, and both disappear, I at once aimed at it as 



