62 SPORTING IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. 



paid for the use of his chetah, the animal was fastened by a 

 long chain to a strong post in the centre of the ground. A 

 donkey was then procured, and the greater part of a bottle 

 of brandy poured, or rather forced down its throat. Neddy, 

 upon feeling the effects of the eau de vie, began to make 

 strange capers, and utter the loudest and most discordant 

 braying that ever issued from asinine lungs. In the course 

 of his evolutions, he approached the chetah, who had been 

 relieved of his ocular encumbrances, and was crouching on 

 the ground in a very menacing attitude, his head between 

 his paws. No sooner had this unusual spectacle struck his 

 observation, than with a bray of defiance, and turning towards 

 him that part of his person not usually presented to society, 

 he directed a straightforward kick with each hind leg full 

 on the muzzle of the "leopard couchant," which had not 

 only the effect of arousing him from any dreamy aberration 

 he might have been indulging in, but also of separating the 

 ligaments that fastened it. 



A roar ! a bound ! and in a second the chetah was on 

 the donkey's back, his claws buried in the shoulder, and his 

 fangs in the neck of the unfortunate beast, whose horrible 

 cries it was dreadful to hear. The fakeer had lost all con- 

 trol over him; and terror (and drunkenness as well, I pre- 

 sume) had so overpowered the donkey, that he did not 

 attempt to escape beyond the range of the chain to which 

 the leopard was attached, and thus drag himself away from 

 the terrific embrace of his enemy, but rolled over on the 

 ground, the chetah still retaining his hold, and still sucking 

 his lifeblood. This scene was not of long continuance; the 

 poor donkey soon fell a victim to his temerity, or rather the 

 cruel experiment that had been played upon him; indeed, 

 every one was sorry for the tragic denouement, but could in 

 no way assist to prevent it, an enraged leopard not being 

 a pleasant animal to meddle with. After gorging him- 



