190 TRACES OF A LEOPARD. 



been reposing, justly establishing its character as an 

 indicator. Mr. Van der Nes informed me that he was 

 once induced to follow it in expectation of discovering 

 honey ; and on pushing through the thick brush- wood 

 that enveloped the trunk of a tree over which the 

 indicator was hovering, he suddenly came upon a 

 leopard : at the same instant the animal made a 

 spring in a contrary direction, and, much to his grati- 

 fication, disappeared without attempting to do him 

 any injury, being evidently as much alarmed at the 

 intrusion, as the Veld Cornet had been at so unex- 

 pected an encounter. 



As we wandered through the forest, one of our 

 party stopped to point out a spot where a few days 

 previously he had startled a leopard scratching the 

 trunk of a large tree — an action peculiar to all the 

 feline races — but which, on being disturbed, sprang 

 into the thicket, and instantly disappeared : the tree 

 bore evident marks of the strength with which the 

 animal had exerted its claws ; and from the evident 

 freshness of the incisions, we were led to conclude 

 that the leopard's haunt was not far distant. 



On emerging from the cool and shady retreat of the 

 forest, another valley of great beauty lay extended 

 before us, bounded by the Kaka and Koonap moun- 

 tains, and richly overspread with trees of the largest 

 growth, whose topmost boughs seemed to reach the 

 summit of the mountain ; while many of their huge 

 and shattered trunks told of the tempests they had 

 braved. Wood-cutters were busily engaged in fel- 



