VIII 
THE LEOPARD 
283 
unusually long, and pointed. The cattle-shed was 
scarped out of the hillside, and was within a few 
feet of the blacksmiths house. The roof was 
thatched. During the night, a leopard, which smelt 
the presence of the cow and calf, mounted the roof 
of the shed and proceeded to force an entrance by 
scratching through the thatch. The cow at the 
same time had detected the presence of the leopard, 
and, ever mindful of her calf, she stood ready to 
receive the intruder, with her sharp horns prepared 
for its appearance. It is supposed that upon the 
leopard’s descent it was at once pinned to the ground, 
before it had time to make its spring. 
The noise of a tremendous struggle aroused the 
blacksmith, who, with a lantern in his hand, opened 
the cattle-shed door and discovered the cow in a 
frantic state of rage, butting and tossing some large 
object to and fro, which evidently had lost all power 
of resistance. This was the leopard in the last gasp, 
having been run through the body by the ready 
horns of the courageous mother, whose little calf was 
nestled in a corner, unmindful of the maternal 
struggle. 
No sooner had the blacksmith appeared upon the 
scene, than the character of the conflict changed, 
and the cow, regarding him in the light of a fresh 
enemy, left the crumpled body of her antagonist and 
charged straight at her proprietor, who dropped his 
lantern and flew to the arms of his wife, whom he 
had left in bed. After some delay, during which the 
courage of all parties was restored, excepting that 
