VIII 
THE LEOPARD 
289 
crouched upon the branches exactly above us. I 
might have taken a splendid shot, but I at first 
imagined it to be a dog-faced baboon {Cynocephalus) 
that had been asleep upon the tree. I stood erect to 
obtain a clearer view, and at once the object sprang 
to the ground within a few feet of us and bounded 
into the jungle. This was a leopard, which had 
probably reached the tree by means of some neigh¬ 
bouring branch, and so noiselessly that we had not 
discovered its presence. The animal had evidently 
winded us, and determined to reconnoitre our 
position. 
In every country the natives are unanimous in 
declaring that the leopard is more dangerous than the 
lion or tiger, and I quite agree in their theory that 
when any dangerous animal is met with, the traveller 
should endeavour to avoid its direct gaze. It is an 
error to suppose that the steady look from the 
human eye will affect an animal by a superior power, 
and thereby exert a subduing influence ,* on the 
contrary, I believe that the mere fact of this 
concentration of a fixed stare mpon the responding 
eyes of a savage animal will increase its rage and 
incite attack. If an animal sees you, and it imagines 
that it is itself unobserved, it will frequently pass 
by, or otherwise retreat, as it believes that it is un¬ 
seen, and therefore it has no immediate dread ; but 
if it is convinced that you mean mischief, by staring 
it out of countenance, it will in all probability 
take the initiative and forestall the anticipated 
attack. 
VOL. I 
u 
