PANTHERS. 53 



ones was put up, at which he got a snap shot but missed. 

 With much trouble we then caught the youngsters, and 

 decided to have an extemporary beat with a few scouts and 

 shikaries for their mother. During the beat a grand 

 old boar was started, and came down an open slope on 

 which I was posted. I thought he would swerve on 

 seeing me ; not a bit of it, he came at me straight 

 as an arrow. Poulton, who was about forty yards to 

 my left front, shouted " Fire he's charging you." We 

 fired simultaneously; both bullets struck him, and he 

 rolled over dead within a few feet of me. He was a 

 splendid old chap, with handsome tushes, and deserved 

 a better fate. At Jamakapett we had a casual beat 

 one day. A panther was soon turned out, at which 

 Poulton fired several snap shots, but declared he had 

 missed. I had great faith in his shooting, and insisted 

 on tracking it up, soon finding slight traces of blood, 

 till at length we arrived at the foot of an almost vertical 

 rock twenty feet high, over which the tracks led. On 

 seeing this we came to the conclusion that it wa> 

 useless to proceed any further, as no badly wounded 

 animal could surmount such an obstacle. However, we 

 had just one look " for luck " round the opposite side, 

 and discovered a cave, from which a series of sepulchral 

 growls emanated, which increased in intensity as we 

 advanced. 



With both barrels cocked I carefully entered, and 

 discovered that the brute was lying under a big rock 

 within five yards. The light was good, but we could 

 not get a glimpse of him although we pelted stones 

 to provoke a charge. Manley then thought he would like 

 to have a peep, and took my place. He was promptly 

 charged, but brained the brute a leopard close to the 



