A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE. 229 



Upcher of the fifty-first, started out snipe shooting this 

 morning with my gun. He had not gone far, when he met 

 Colonel J., who told him that there was a leopard in the 

 cave in the rocks, close to the lines of the regiment. Upcher, 

 who is always ready for a bit of sport, immediately took the 

 shot out of the barrels of the gun and put in ball and sallied 



forth with J. and a young fellow, T by name. . . 



The latter was placed on the top of the rock whilst Upcher 

 and J. walked up to the mouth of the cave, which had two 

 entrances. They could not see the leopard at first, but on 

 getting a little higher on the rock, Upcher caught sight of 

 it and fired. The beast at once rushed out and ran behind a 

 large rock. They both made after him, Colonel J. following 

 the cheeta's path, while Upcher went round the other way so 

 as to meet it, which he pretty soon did ; and the moment the 

 leopard caught sight of him, he came slap at him. Upcher 

 jumped two or three paces one one side and fired. The shot 

 only staggered the brute, and Upcher at once tried to make 

 off, but before he could turn round the leopard was almost 

 upon him. Seeing now that it all depended on his presence 

 of mind, activity and strength, he struck the animal with 

 the gun with all his force as the leopard was in the act of 

 striking him, and so warded off the blow from his head and 

 only received a severe cut on his right cheek from the beast's 

 claws from one paw, the other at the same moment striking 

 the gun and sending it clean away. Upcher then put his 

 right hand into the leopard's mouth, and with the other hand 

 grasped him tight round the throat. The brute as soon as he 

 found that Upcher had got him by the throat, let go of his 

 hand and caught him near the elbow ; Upcher still keeping 

 his hand and part of the forearm in the mouth. By this time 



