THE BLACK LEOPARD. 



225 



appearing, having sent the guns and people on ahead. I took 

 the road to the coffee plantations, and was just going round 

 to the ibex rocks, when happening to look back I saw some- 

 thing black on the rock on the low hills behind me ; on look- 

 ing with my glass to my delight I saw it was a black leopard. 

 He was capitally situated for stalking owing to there being 

 some higher rocks behind him, but I was doubtful as to the 



THE BLACK LEOPARD, 

 " He was not more than Ji/ty yards and lying do7v/t.' 



wind, and as I was working round, to my great disappoint- 

 ment I saw him move off the rock ; hastening up I found that 

 he had only moved a little more to the left and was still on 

 the same rock. He was not more than fifty yards from me, 

 and was lying down ; all I could see of him was his head, 

 neck, and back ; he was looking away from me. I felt rather 

 unsteady in my aim, so took a long time about it, and when I 

 did fire, had the pleasure of seeing him fall on his side bent up 



J 5 



