TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 203 



The goat had been procured, and after supper we 

 had it tied in between the fences of the zareba. Our 

 stolen homestead being of native make, I had a great 

 loop-hole made for me in the inner circle and remained 

 inside our main camp. You have to do this miserable 

 form of sport to bag leopards, because they are too 

 cunning as a rule to appear in the day-time, and 

 rarely walk about in the open way lions will. There 

 is nothing magnificent about the character of a leopard. 

 He is a mere cunning thief. j 



A rush, and the leopard was on his prey, his side 

 towards me, his tail slowly lashing from left to right 

 with pleasure as he drank the warm blood. I carefully 

 sighted. It was not a dark night, and I simply couldn't 

 miss. Bang ! Then the second barrel. The whole 

 caravan turned out, and buzzed like disturbed bees, 

 one or two wakeful spirits singing the chant they 

 keep for the occasion of the killing of some dangerous 

 beast. I had the leopard kept as he was until morning, 

 when I examined him to find he was of the Marehan 

 variety, or hunting leopard, quite different to his first 

 cousin Fclis pardus. His head was smaller, and much 

 more cunning looking, and he was distinguished from 

 the panther by non -retractile claws. He was fawn in 

 colour, and his teeth were old and much worn. 



It took two men now pretty well all their time to 

 see after the trophies, and bar the way they went on 

 with anything to do with wart-hog, they really were 

 most assiduous and careful. At first the men actually 

 routed us out every time the loading-up commenced 

 in order that we should put bits of pig on to the 



