THE LION AND OTHER BEASTS OF PREY 
232 
The leopard, abandoning his prostrate enemy, darted, with 
redoubled fury, on his second antagonist ;* and so fierce and sudden 
was on his onset, that before the Boor could stab the leopard with his 
hunting-knife, the beast struck him in the eyes with his claws, and 
even tore the scarf over the forehead. In this frightful condition, the 
hunter grappled with the raging beast, and, struggling for life, they 
rolled together down a steep declivity. All this occurred so rapidly 
that the other man had scarcely time to recover from the confusion into 
which his feline foe had thrown him, to seize his gun, and rush forward 
to aid his comrade, when he beheld them in mortal conflict, rolling 
together down the steep bank. In a few moments he was at the 
bottom with them, but too late to save the life of his friend, who had 
so gallantly defended him. The leopard had torn open the jugular 
vein, and so dreadfully mangled the throat of the unfortunate man, 
that his death was inevitable; and his comrade had only the melancholy 
satisfaction of completing the destruction of the leopard, which was 
already much exhausted by several deep wounds in the breast, from 
the desperate knife of the expiring huntsman. 
On one occasion, a pair of leopards, with three cubs, entered a 
sheep-fold at the Cape of Good Hope. The old ones killed nearly a 
hundred sheep, and regaled themselves with the blood. When they 
were satiated, they tore a carcass into three pieces, and gave a part to 
each of the cubs. They then took each a whole sheep, and thus laden, 
began to move off, but were discovered in their retreat; the female and 
the cubs were killed, while the male effected his escape. 
The leopard resembles in its habits the lion and the panther, but 
he is not so powerful. In one respect, however, he is superior to them; 
that is the extreme pliability of his spine, which gives him a degree 
of velocity and agility surpassed by no other animal. With such 
astonishing rapidity does he climb trees, that few animals are safe 
from his ravages. Man alone seems to excite some respect; but if 
pressed hard in the pursuit by the hunter, he will turn upon him, and 
it requires both skill and prowess to guard against a leopard’s attacks. 
Many instances have occurred of man becoming his victim, although 
generally he must be pressed to the onset; as when impelled by hunger. 
Sometimes leopards are used in the pursuit of antelopes. On these 
