JUJA FARM; HIPPO AND LEOPARD 115 
approached to try and get the leopard out. Of course none 
of the beaters had guns; their function was merely to make 
a disturbance and rouse the game, and they were cautioned 
on no account to get into danger. But the leopard did not 
wait to be driven. Without any warning, out he came and 
charged straight at Kermit, who stopped him when he was 
but six yards off with a bullet in the forepart of the body; 
the leopard turned, and as he galloped back Kermit hit him 
again, crippling him in the hips. The wounds were fatal, 
and they would have knocked the fight out of any animal 
less plucky and savage than the leopard; but not even in 
Africa is there a beast of more unflinching courage than 
this spotted cat. The beaters were much excited by the 
sight of the charge and the way in which it was stopped, 
and they pressed jubilantly forward, too heedlessly; one 
of them, who was on McMillan’s side of the thicket, went 
too near it, and out came the wounded leopard at him. 
It was badly crippled or it would have got the beater at 
once; as it was, it was slowly overtaking him as he ran 
through the tall grass, when McMillan, standing on an 
ant-heap, shot it again. Yet, in spite of having this third 
bullet in it, it ran down the beater and seized him, worrying 
him with teeth and claws; but it was weak because of its 
wounds, and the powerful savage wrenched himself free, 
while McMillan fired into the beast again; and back it 
went through the long grass into the thicket. There was a 
pause, and the wounded beater was removed to a place of 
safety, while a messenger was sent on to us to bring up 
the Boer dogs. But while they were waiting, the leopard, 
on its own initiative, brought matters to a crisis, for out it 
came again straight at Kermit, and this time it dropped 
