252 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER CH. 



fortunately protected by a broad, brass-studded collar. 

 Afraid of wounding my dog, I fired two shots in 

 quick succession into the leopard's hip and instantly 

 another into his shoulder ; but these failed to give 

 him his quietus, and the conflict continued as fiercely 

 as ever. As they writhed and fought, I could see 

 every movement of the leopard in the bright tropical 

 moonshine, and seizing the first favourable oppor- 

 tunity, sent a bullet through his heart, instantly 

 killing him. Even then, Brandy clung to his op- 

 ponent, as if determined to avenge himself for the 

 mauling he had received, and it was some time be- 

 fore I could coax the plucky dog to loosen his hold. 

 When I did so, I found that my bull-terrier's chest 

 and left hip were terribly torn by the leopard's sharp 

 claws. Very gently I cleaned, disinfected and 

 stitched up the warrior's wounds, and made him as 

 comfortable as his injuries would permit, but so 

 badly had he been lacerated in the struggle, that it 

 took him two months to recover thoroughly from 

 the effects. 



Poor Brandy ! he afterwards succumbed to that 

 bane of tropical Africa, the tse-tse fly. At the time 

 of his death, I happened to have a store in the 

 district for the purchase of rubber, bees- wax, etc., 

 from the natives, and wrapping up the remains of 

 my poor old friend in a roll of cloth, I buried him in 

 a hole in the earthen floor of the same store. So 



