chap. vi. LEOPARDS. 301 



instantly relaxed its hold, and after a convulsive struggle 

 or two, lay dead beneatli me, where it was found next 

 morning when the villagers came down, with me sound 

 asleep above it, curled up in the hut. It turned out to 

 be one of the smaller variety ; but for some reason or 

 other its skin was rough, and not in good order. 



As I have before mentioned, I have only seen the 

 ngulule, or maned leopard, twice. One afternoon as I 

 was nearing camp, drenched through and through by a 

 violent thunderstorm, I saw two animals sitting on their 

 hind-quarters watching us about half a mile off, and turn- 

 ing to my gun-bearer I asked him what they were. 

 "Lionesses" was the answer, and as I was not then 

 acquainted with any animal so much resembling them, 

 or which sat in that peculiar position, I had no doubt but 

 that he was right, and at once passed on to camp, which 

 was close by, to get a fresh gun instead of the one I had, 

 which was wet and would not go off. 



On returning a few minutes after with two hunters 

 whom I happened to find in, we soon saw the animals 

 walking away nearly a mile off, and made towards them 

 as fast as we could, still under the belief that they were 

 two lionesses, and it was not until we crossed their 

 spoor that we saw that it differed in formation from that 

 of those animals, as well as being smaller and lighter, and 

 one of the men who had before seen it at once declared 

 what they really were. They had in the meanwhile dis- 

 appeared in a patch of jungle, but keeping up our pace, 

 we sighted them again as they emerged from it and, still 

 walking, crossed the open towards another cover ; before, 

 however, they could reach it, we were within a hundred 



