OKDEU V. THE CARNIVOKA. 139 



until lie takes refuge iii a tree, where lie is easily sliot. Hunting tlie 

 leopartl, liowevcr, is not without its perils, and the least iiupruclenee on 

 tlic part (if the hunter may lead to fatal results, as the following incident 

 siiows : " Two African farmers, returning iioni hunting tlie liartebeest 

 (xlntilopc ItubalLf) , roused a leopard in a mountain ravine, and immedi- 

 ately gave chase to him. The leopard at first endea\ored to escape, ijy 

 clambering up a precipice; but being holly pressed, and wounded by a 

 musket-ball, he turned upon his pursuers with that frantic ferocity peculiar 

 to this animal on such emergencies, and springing on tlie man who had 

 fired at hiiu, tore liini from his horse to the ground, biting him at tlie same 

 time on the shoulder, and tearing one of his cheeks severely with his claws. 

 Tlie other hunter, seeing the danger of his comrade, sprang from liis horse, 

 and attempted to shoot the leopard througli the head ; but, whether owing 

 to trepidation, or tlie fear of wounding his friend, or the (piick motions of 

 the animal, he unfortunately missed. The leopard, abandoning liis prostrate 

 enemy, darted with redoubled fury upon Iiis second antagonist, and so fierce 

 and sudden was his onset, that before the boor could stab him with his hunt- 

 ing-knife, the savage beast struck him on tlie liead with his claws, and 

 actually tore tlic scalp over his eyes. In this frightful condition the hunter 

 grappled with tlie leopard ; and, struggling for life, they rolled together 

 down a steep declivity. All this passed far more ra[)idly than it can be 

 described in words. Before the man who had been first attacked could 

 start to his feet and seize his gun, they were rolling, one over the other, 

 down the bank. In a minute or two he liad reloaded his gini, and rushed 

 forward to save the life of Ids friend. Hut it was too late. The leopard 

 had seized the unfortunate man by the throat, and mangled liim so dread- 

 fully that death was ine\itable ; and his comrade (himself severely wounded) 

 had only tlic melancholy satisfaction of completing the destruction of the 

 savage beast, already exhausted with the loss of blood from several deep 

 wounds by the desperate knife of the expiring liuutsman." 



The leo[iard, howe\er, is not incapable of some degree of training; but 

 we do not know of any instance of attaeliment ecpial to what we have wit- 

 nessed in the lion, tiger, or panther. Jlr. Bemiet describes a pair of 

 leopards which were placed in the Tower ilenagerie, London, in l<Si"J. 

 Tlieir activity was extraordinary, and their motions, when sportiag in their 

 cage, were executed with extreme grace and elegance. Their food was 

 generally tossed up in front of the den, at a distance of nearly two feet 

 from the bars, and to the height of nearly eight feet from the floor. The 

 animals, u[)on the alert for their dinner, would leap immediately towards 

 the bars, and darting out their paws with incredible swiftness, almost uni- 

 formly succeeded in seizing it before it fell to the ground. 



