232 A DISAPPOINTMENT. 



the noise the people would make on going for the bison, so he 

 wanted me to take some other ground in the evening, but 

 I fancied the leopard might come, so after salting the tongues 

 and writing a letter I started about 5 p.m., on the chance. I 

 found the leopard had dragged the calf to the bank of the 

 stream, and into some bushes so thick that there was no 

 chance of getting a shot unless we could get to the other side 

 of the nullah. After losing our way, we at last hit the spot 

 where we had been in the morning, and as we approached we 

 heard the leopard give a snarling growl, I was then in the 

 bed of the nullah on a kind of island studded with high trees, 



^^^^M^- 



',!-. 



THE STAR /S WHERE THE BALL STRUCK. 



and on the opposite side of the stream was a high bank with 

 trees on the top of it. With eager eyes I looked up and 

 clown and along the opposite bank, but could see nothing, 

 when suddenly I saw something on the thick branch of a tree 

 on the top of the opposite bank some sixty paces off. It 

 was getting rather dark, and at first I could distinguish 

 nothing but a round knob on the branch, with two 

 projections that looked uncommonly like a pair of ears ; 

 another look and I saw it was a leopard's head, for I could 

 plainly see its white teeth as it opened its mouth at me. I 

 took a steady shot at the brute's head, for nothing more could 

 I see. There was a crack which I had hoped was from bones, 

 but the creature was up in an instant and ran along the branch 



