The Leopard and Panther 149 



morning that the trackers had marked him down. "After 

 the usual hot march of three or four miles," says Colonel 

 Barras, " we came upon the chief shikari, who was speedily 

 to place us face to face with our hidden foe. On arriving 

 at the scene of action, we found that the panther had 

 taken up his quarters on a steep hillside which was much 

 more thickly covered with cactus plant than usual. The 

 top of the hill was flat ... and devoid of cover. The 

 last short rise up this eminence was so steep that a line 

 of beaters had drawn themselves up in tolerable safety 

 all along the crest, prepared to hurl showers of rocks and 

 stones down the declivity, should the panther take an 

 upward course. All of them, however, then maintained 

 an immovable attitude and a profound silence, whilst in 

 a whisper scarcely to be heard, our guide pointed out the 

 exact bush in which the enemy was said to be concealed. 

 We divided the distance around it, and gradually closed 

 in towards the centre of attraction, till not more than five 

 or six yards separated us from the place. . . . Here we 

 paused in circumspection ; no sound struck upon the ear, 

 nor did so much as a leaf quiver a warning to the eye. 

 But though invisible to us, we felt that the animal was 

 aware of our presence, and that its eyes were fixed upon 

 us as it crouched for a spring." 



Still the panther remained quiet, " and whilst the party 

 were discussing various projects, my dog keeper asked 

 permission to ascend the slope of the amphitheatre on 

 which we were standing, so that he might join the line of 

 beaters on the ridge above. Permission was given, but 

 he was strictly enjoined to make a circuit round the tract 



