i86 KLOOF AND KARROO. 



boy, was hard and fast in the grip of an immense 

 leopard, which was tearing with its cruel teeth at his 

 throat, and at the same time kicking murderously 

 with its heavily clawed hind legs at the poor fellow's 

 stomach and thighs. One of the men — Klaas of 

 course — bolder than his fellows, was lunging an 

 assegai into the brute's ribs, seemingly without the 

 smallest effect ; others were thrashing at it with fire- 

 brands ; and the dogs were vainly worrying at its 

 head and flanks. All this I saw instantaneously. 

 Thrusting my followers aside, I ran up to the leopard, 

 and, putting my rifle to its ear, fired. The express 

 bullet did its work at once ; the fiercest and most 

 tenacious of the feline race could not refuse to yield 

 its life with its head almost blown to atoms, and 

 loosening its murderous hold, the brute fell dead. 

 But too late ! the poor Bechuana boy lay upon the 

 sand wounded to the death. His right shoulder and 

 throat were terribly ribanded and mangled by the 

 foreclaws and teeth of the deadly cat ; but the 

 cruellest wounds lay lower down. The hinder claws 

 of the leopard had absolutely torn the abdomen 

 away ; it was a shocking sight. Recovery was 

 hopeless, and, indeed, although we did what we 

 could for the poor sufferer, he only lingered an hour 

 insensible, then died. After his death my men told 

 me how the thing had happened. In this solitary 

 region, the leopards and other fercB, as I have often 

 heard, never being disturbed by gunners, are 

 extraordinarily fierce and audacious. The leopard — 

 a male — was evidently very hungry, as its empty 

 stomach testified, and after once tasting blood — that 

 of the dog — it soon got over its temporary scare. 

 The young Bechuana lay farthest from the fire, for 



