158 SAVAGE HERMITS. 



bared his arm and shoulder, where the terrible marks 

 were yet apparent. 



" When you come across a wounded leopard, you 

 c pas-op' " (take care), was Hendrick's moral. 



I thought over this story frequently during the night, 

 and impressed on my mind that I would always be careful 

 of leopards ; another instance having occurred, in which 

 a bombardier of artillery was much torn by a wounded 

 leopard close beside his barracks at Natal. With the 

 usual bravery, but want of sporting skill, of the British 

 soldier, he went into the bush armed with a sword to 

 finish a leopard that had crawled in badly wounded. 

 The savage animal sprang upon him, seized his hand, and 

 would have killed him, had not a fortunate shot from a 

 civilian, who had followed the soldier, laid the leopard 

 low. The loss of the use of his hand was the only damage 

 this man suffered, fortunately for him. 



These Dutchmen seemed to think that the black rhi- 

 noceros was the most formidable customer in South Africa. 

 The lion, which is considered in England so far to exceed 

 all other animals as dangerous game, did not seem to be 

 held in greater awe than either the rhinoceros or a soli- 

 tary old bull-buffalo. The latter is sometimes sent from a 

 herd by a combination of young bulls, who, disliking his 

 monopoly of the ladies, combine, and turn him out ; he 

 then seeks some deep ravine, and buries himself amongst 

 the bushes. He is always sly and vindictive, and will 

 suddenly rush out upon an intruder. One of these brutes 

 once sprang upon a gallant friend of mine, tumbling horse 



