LEOPARDS AND PANTHERS. 127 



was still in a Rhar* field at the back of the 

 town, and eagerly solicited me to go and kill 

 him. I went to the guard house,, & four soldiers 

 immediately volunteered to accompany me. 

 A number of people with arms and noisy in- 

 struments were already assembled at the 

 place, to drive him out of the field. We took 

 our station, on a bank between the field and 

 jungle, and I directed two only of the soldiers 

 to fire at him when I gave the signal, and the 

 other two, to reserve their fire, lest he should 

 attack us; which precaution together with 

 rny second barrel, I thought sufficient to en- 

 sure our keeping him off, if we did not kill 

 him. The people beat through the field twice, 

 without seeing him, and were all inclined to 

 give up the search, concluding that he must 

 have gone off to the jungle which was near, 

 but the Doctor persisted in asserting that he 

 must still be there; I therefore desired them 

 to beat it a third time, observing that theijr 



* Rhar is a kind of vetch, a speices of Lupin that 

 grows on a shrub from four to six feet high. 



