34 WILD ANIMAL CELEBRITIES 



provided his health remained good, he would 

 be a resident of the Park for several years to 

 come. 



But about two o'clock one morning, when 

 all was still and silent in the Park, the watch- 

 man who was stationed outside the Lion 

 House saw something crouching just outside 

 the feed room door. For a few seconds he 

 kept perfectly still, and then saw that the 

 crouching object was a snow leopard. 

 Now, the wisest thing to have done would 

 have been to drive it toward the base of the 

 Lion House, open the door, or rather get 

 some one to do it, and then drive him in. 

 But the wisest things are not always the 

 easiest, and it must be remembered that it 

 was practically in the middle of the night 

 and few others besides the watchman were 

 about. 



Consequently, the watchman did the best 

 he could on so short a notice ; drawing his re- 

 volver he fired no less than five shots at close 

 range and never even touched him. No doubt 

 he was nervous and fired wide of the mark, 



