140 THE PANTHER I DID NOT SHOOT 



when suddenly there was a sound of scrambling, and 

 across an opening in the scrub, in sight of us all, 

 a huge hyaena scurried away " on three legs.' ' I sent 

 a man post-haste for my rifle, which I had not 

 brought with me, never expecting to require it until 

 a regular campaign could be arranged. As soon as 

 it arrived, we formed in line and advanced, throw- 

 ing stones in all directions. 



Make no offering of admiration at the shrine of 

 our hardihood, for we were in no peril. Among 

 carnivorous beasts there is not a more contemptible 

 poltroon than the hyaena, even when wounded. A 

 friend of mine once tied up a billy goat as a bait 

 for a panther and sat up over it in a tree. In the 

 middle of the night a hyaena nosed it from afar, and 

 came sneaking up in the rear, for hyaenas love the 

 flesh of goats next to that of dogs. But the goat 

 saw it, and, turning about bravely, presented his 

 horned front. This the hyaena could not find 

 stomach to face. For two hours he manoeuvred 

 to take the goat in rear, but it turned as he circled, 

 and stood up to him stoutly till the dawn came; and 

 my friend cut short its disreputable career with a 

 bullet. 



To return to my story, we had not gone far when, 

 on a lower level, not many yards from me, I was 

 suddenly confronted by that repulsive, ghoulish 

 physiognomy which can never be forgotten when 

 once seen, the smoky-black snout, broad forehead 

 and great upstanding ears. Instantly the beast 



