PANTHERS. 03 



Engineers. The most amusing part of the story is the 

 sowar's report of his escape, it is so like what a native 

 would state under the circumstances. 



One morning I was out stalking spotted deer in a 

 bamboo jungle near Atticulpoora, in Southern Mysore, 

 when, on rounding a clump of canes, we saw a rival 

 sportsman in the form of a panther, who was evidently 

 bent on the same game, about seventy yards distant, on a 

 large rock, and scanning the jungle all around. My face 

 and body were shaded by a branch, through which I was 

 peeping, but, on stepping back to hold a council of war, he 

 must have seen my legs move, and have mistaken them for 

 a deer, for down he dropped stealthily to the ground, and 

 began to stalk me, creeping quickly along for about 

 ten yards at a time towards me, and then crouching behind 

 any available covert ; in this way he reached a large 

 bamboo, about forty yards distant. After anxiously 

 awaiting his reappearance for some minutes, I decided 

 to return the compliment by stalking him, but it was 

 in vain ; he must have discovered his mistake, and retired 

 unobserved, for the spot was vacated when examined 

 by me. The panther commences to eat the flank of any 

 animal he may have killed, thence extending his operations 

 to the stomach and entrails. He is a much bolder animal 

 than the tiger when in search of prey, being more 

 accustomed to the presence of man from his habit of 

 infesting village outskirts. He frequently enters them 

 at night to look for dogs or other domestic animals, anl 

 will then even scratch through the roof of a hut to get at 

 his victims. 



A good opportunity for a braining shot is more often 

 offered by a panther or leopard than by other animal> 

 coming under the heading of big game, the nature of 



