NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



my friends, when suddenly a native servant rushed 

 into the dining-room and informed me that a fight 

 was going on between a snake and a leopard. When 

 we got outside we saw the awful but exciting 

 battle between the two — a full-grown leopard was 

 encircled by a giant snake. The leopard tried to 

 free itself from the snake by biting and striking it, 

 but the living circle became smaller and smaller. 

 The snake beat the earth fiercely with each bite 

 and blow from the leopard, and its shiny skin hung 

 torn all over it, but it did not spare its strength. 

 The leopard seemed lost, but when the snake for a 

 moment relaxed its grip, the leopard stretched itself 

 out, and, with a final effort, bit the snake in its 

 left jaw. One could hear the bones being crushed. 

 The severely wounded snake beat about it a few 

 more times with its tail, and made a final attempt 

 to encircle the leopard, but its strength was gone — 

 a few more twitches and it was done. But what 

 was the condition of the victor ? Deadly tired, 

 with broken bones, it lay there looking at us and 

 grinding its teeth. It endeavoured to rid itself 

 of the snake, but had also to give up the struggle. 

 We gave it the coup de grace. The stripped snake- 

 skin measured six and three-quarter yards in length, 

 and three-quarters of a yard in breadth." 



Books of adventure and sport teem with accounts 

 of encounters with leopards, all of which go to 

 show that when wounded and hard pressed it is 

 even more to be feared than the lion. 



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