DEATH OF A LEOPARD 
207 
At night I tied up my goat, which had been killed by 
the lion, and also a live kid, and slept, or rather lay awake, 
in the zareba by them. I also set the traps, hoping for a 
leopard. Remembering the night before, I took extra thick 
clothing with me, and in consequence it was a very hot clear 
night. I could not sleep a wink, owing to the bleating of 
the kid and the noise made by a caravan taking water at 
the wells all night. A lion roared to the north of us about 
midnight, but he did not put in an appearance. Soon after 
something crawled round the zareba and pounced upon the 
kid, which never uttered a cry, and directly afterwards 
there was a great crunching of bones and scratching of flesh. 
I was up in a second, and, peering through the loophole, 
could see the goat and kid, but absolutely nothing else. 
The men close by the wells were making a great noise, but 
the scratching and crunching continued. One of my men 
now looked through the hole, and immediately whispered 
excitedly, ‘ Shebel ! shebel !’ (Leopard ! leopard !). I gazed 
through the hole again, and strained my eyes to their utmost. 
I saw nothing. I cracked a twig, hoping the animal would 
put up its head. Not a bit of it. I held a loud whispering 
conversation with the man, who begged me to ^ Shoot ! 
shoot !’ But I was determined not to be in any hurry, and 
so perhaps imitate my shikari and the bull episode. 
I pushed . my rifle through the loophole and stared hard. 
I suppose my eyes got accustomed at last to the darkness, 
for all at once I made out a dark object lying very flat on 
its stomach facing me, and, as far as I could make out, 
endeavouring to pull the goat away, whilst the crunching 
and scratching still continued. I pointed my rifle at the 
object — to take aim was impossible, as, on putting the rifle 
up to my shoulder, I could not even see the hammers, 
much less the sights — and fired. Then I listened. I heard 
two gurgling sobs, and then all was still. Leopard or 
hyaena, I knew I had killed him. I made out a dark form 
lying beyond the goat, but although we could just touch 
him with the liangol, we could not drag himi nearer. My 
