300 LARGE GAME. chap. vr. 



It was all so still and peaceful, that it required the cry 

 of a leopard from among the great rocks and wooded 

 precipices which surrounded me to recall my attention to 

 my purpose in coming there ; but it was not till near 

 morning that the animal itself made its appearance. 



The moon had become concealed by the forest above 

 me, though it was still quite light, when my eye first 

 caught a glimpse of something moving stealthily towards 

 me. The gait of all beasts of prey changes according to 

 their object, and when approaching anything that they 

 have formerly killed they seem to take as much care as 

 if it was still living, and required to be stalked. Obedient 

 to this instinct, the leopard, after leaving the shade of 

 the forest, stole from trunk to trunk, paused, and even 

 crouched down once or twice, before it caught sight of the 

 carcase, after which, apparently reassured, it came on more 

 rapidly, and soon stood beside it. I had, on my first 

 arrival, so placed my gun in one of the supporting posts of 

 the hut that I could take aim without hardly moving, 

 and as, from the position of the animal, I feared that my 

 ball might glance if I aimed at the head, I took it between 

 the shoulders, and pulled the trigger. With a muffled 

 roar it sprung forward, its fore-paws catching on the 

 frame-work on which the hut was placed, while its head 

 was on a level with me, and not a yard off. The other 

 barrel was loaded with slugs — a precautionary measure 

 which I think should always be taken when after leopards, 

 — and without a second's delay I fired them straight 

 into its face, the charge taking effect like a ball, and 

 blowing its skull to atoms, while the whole head was 

 scorched and blackened with powder. Of course, it 



