THE LEOPARD 



leopard, and getting within a dozen paces or so, 

 would discharge their bone-tipped arrows, the 

 points of which were inoculated with a deadly- 

 poison . The leopard, feeling the prick of the 

 arrow point through its skin, would bite viciously 

 at the smarting wound, and possibly take no 

 further heed until the poison had done its deadly 

 work. Then, from out of their place of conceal- 

 ment, the little yellow men would steal forth, and 

 with sharp-edged stone flakes quickly remove the 

 skin, which subsequently would be worn as a 

 trophy. 



If a Bushman succeeded in wounding a leopard 

 with an arrow, and should it bound off into the 

 forest, he slowly and cautiously followed its spoor, 

 accompanied by several of his comrades, knowing 

 full well he would sooner or later find the animal 

 lying in a more or less paralysed condition, if not 

 actually dead. 



On the advent of the Bantu tribes, the leopard 

 had a more intelligent and stronger enemy, who, 

 for mutual protection, combined and hunted it 

 from its lairs with dogs, and slew it with spears, 

 for these Bantu people owned flocks and herds 

 which fell an easy prey to the prowling leopard. 



The efforts of the Kafirs, however, did not 

 diminish the number of these animals to any 

 appreciable degree, and finding the stock of the 

 natives an easier prey than antelopes, the leopards 

 levied a heavy toll, compelling the exasperated 

 127 



