A LEOPARD IN THE CAMP 



117 



neither in the lake nor on the beach, but high up in the 

 branches of our tree, wliere, doubtless, he had been hidden by 

 the Elmolo. 



In the afternoon we turned inland, and walked along a good 

 gravelly path to avoid going round a peninsula. Towards 

 sunset we got back to the lake, and camped at the edge of a 

 shallow creek, at the southern base of Mount Longendoti. The 

 succulent bush so often referred to grew here on the sandy 

 slopes in the greatest luxuriance, forming regular thickets ; and 

 we camped in little parties amongst it, wherever we could find 

 an open space. We were all assembled ; and the noisy work 

 of getting water and firewood, unloading the donkeys, &c., was 

 in full swing, when one of the men came to us with the news 

 that there was a leopard in a thicket in the very midst of the 

 camp. This seemed so incredible that Count Teleki did not 

 get his gun till the man had repeated his intelligence several 

 times. The animal turned out to be wedged into a bush in such 

 a manner that, though he was surrounded by men, it was almost 

 impossible to get a shot at him. At last, however, the Count 

 found a gap through which he was able to fire at the ani- 

 mal's back. An angry snapping and snarling ensued, but the 

 leopard did not move. The Count crept cjuite close to the 

 bu^h, and fired twice between the branches, at which the 

 animal turned round several times, and then remained motion- 

 less as if dead. The next thing to do was to drag the body 

 out of the thicket ; but to our surprise our Somal, who were 

 generally so brave, all refused to undertake the task, for, as 

 they said, ' a leopard often shams death.' At last, however, 

 the body was drawn up through a hole made in the bushes 

 above it. There was a regular squabble over the flesh between 

 the Wasangu and the Wanyamwesi. 



Late in the evening we were again disturbed by some wild 

 beast, which had crept up to our donkeys, grazing in the 



