334 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
out to know w T liat it was, and in order to pacify her, 
Mr. Brown and her daughter replied that most likely it 
was a dog. Satisfied in her own mind that a dog would 
not have made them scream out in such alarm, and con¬ 
cluding that it was a hyaena, she started up, took the 
child by which she was lying in her arms, and ran into 
the living room. 
Finding that she had brought out only one of the 
little boys, Brown thought it was best to tell her the 
truth, which made her so agitated that she would have 
gone back quite unprotected to the other bed if she had 
not been prevented by force. 
The immediate question now was, how the brute could 
be disposed of. There was a loaded elephant-gun hang¬ 
ing up inside the partition, but in the commotion no one 
thought of it. Brown took hold of a kitchen-knife, but 
afterwards it was remembered that the Masarwa servant 
had an old assegai ; the man was soon sent for ; Brown 
took the spear ; Miss Jacobs held the lantern; Mrs. 
Jacobs clung to her daughter, and the servant kept close 
behind. At the appearance of the light, the leopard was 
more terrified than ever, and the hubbub of voices, 
English, Dutch, and Sesarwa, only increased its alarm. 
Making a sudden spring it lighted on the bed where the 
child was sleeping. The little fellow slumbered on 
peacefully, and knew nothing of what happened until 
the next morning. 
With such an excited cluster of people at his elbow, it 
was not very surprising that Brown made a bad aim with 
his assegai; the point merely grazed the creature’s skin, 
and in an instant it flew at his breast, so that he could 
feel its claws upon his neck. Losing his balance he fell 
over; the women came tumbling on him, dragging the 
old Masarwa on the top of them all, the commotion 
putting the leopard into such a state of bewilderment 
that it never used a fang, but bounded forth, first into 
the other room, and then through the open portion of 
the door. 
Thus relieved of their anxiety, and finding no harm 
done, they all laughed heartily, and congratulated each 
