MY LAST LEOl'ARD. 



235 



looking at its fallen companion. Before I could raise the 

 rifle the animal disappeared over the precipice ; I at once ran 

 to the edge and waited some time with the hope of seeing it 

 again, but after about twenty minutes — Francis says half an 

 hour — I went back towards the dead leopard and got to about 

 thirty paces from him when, to our utter astonishment, up he 

 sprang and bolted towards the edge of the rock; I fired a 

 quick shot with a shell and the leopard disappeared in a 

 narrow water course close to the precipitious side of the rock. 

 I felt pretty certain I had hit him, and thought I had heard 

 a stifled growl ; cautiously approaching the spot I had the 

 satisfaction of seeing him lying dead; had he gone another 

 yard he would have been over the edge. I found my first 

 shot had hit him on the right nostril knocking his teeth about 

 and passing out behind the jaw ; why he should have 

 remained stunned for so long a time I can't make out. The 

 shell had entered high up behind the left shoulder, passing 

 out and smashing the right, dropping him dead on his tracks ; 

 he was an old male six feet two inches in length with a 

 beautiful skin. 







MY LAST LEOPARD. 



