he does, unarmed as they are, at least one will feel the weight of his fore-paw; but the civilized hunter who smokes his cheroot, and having seen the attendants slip the cheetah calmly abides the result, confident that the brute's cruel fangs will win the fight, has no such excuse. Such 'hunting' may be performed in white kid gloves, and is certainly more worthy the patronage of a pack of blood-thirsty old women than of bold and fearless sportsmen."

The hunting leopard, according to a reliable authority, stands some thirty-two inches high, and is of the genus caius, not having the retractile claws of the cat. He is much lighter made than the panther, shows little fight with the dogs, and is not commonly found in the jungles, because he lives much in the lower branches of large forest-trees-where the female brings forth her young-and preys upon the goat, antelope, and all kinds of small deer, and also on peafowl. Whether the cheetah is taken as a cub and reared to the business of hunting, or whether a full-grown animal may be trapped and broken in, I have not been able to discover. The natural supposition, however, is that the former course must be adopted, for although we have instances of panthers, etc., becoming sufficiently docile to tolerate man's society, the greatest care is taken that they in no way indulge their savage and natural appetites.

HOW THE LEOPARD IS HUNTED.

LEOPARD stories are scarce, and among the best I am acquainted with is one that was related to Captain Drayson by one of his hunting gang, a Boer named Hendrick. The Captain speaks of Hendrick as an honest, straightforward fellow, and moreover examined the terrible scars about the man's body.

Hendrick was staying at the house of a neighbor, whose daughter he was in love with. One night a leopard broke into the yard, and finding nothing more substantial, killed and devoured many head of poultry. Having once so delicately supped, there was little doubt that the leopard would shortly try his luck again-a reflection that caused much dismay among the household. Hendrick, however,

being a bold young man and a tolerable shot, and being anxious, moreover, to distinguish himself in the eyes of his affianced, secretly resolved to visit a "kloof" about four miles distant, where the leopard was probably in hiding, slay the beast, and bring in his skin in triumph.

Setting out at day-break, and armed with a single-barreled gun, Hendrick dismounted, entered the ravine, and commenced hunting for "spoor." After awhile he discovered the remains of a buck partly eaten, and knew at once that it must be the leopard's work, because there was evidence of the animal's having been pulled down by the throat, whereas, if it had succumbed to a hyena or a wolf, the flanks would have been mangled. While engaged examining the venison he looked up, and there, just over his head and clinging to a great bough, was the animal of whom he was in quest, showing its teeth and glaring viciously. Quick as lightning the leopard leaped down and made off, though not before Hendrick had raised his gun and sent a bullet after it. A sudden cry and a twist of the body announced that the bullet was properly billetted, but still the leopard kept on, and the young man, mounting his horse, gave chase. Hunted and hunter soon came to a denser ravine than the first, and the leopard escaped from view. Hendrick himself shall relate the rest of the story.

"Leaving my horse outside, I went into the ravine on the spoor, which I had great difficulty in following, as the briars and wait-a-bit thorns were troublesome to push through. After a little while, however, I saw some blood and could get on better. I held my gun

ready for a shot, and felt that my knife was loose in the sheath. When I came nearly to the bottom of the ravine I suddenly saw close to me the wounded leopard; he did not run away this time, but crouched down and spit at me like a spiteful cat, laying his ears back and showing his teeth. I fired straight at him, and must have hit him, but he still did not move for about an instant. Then, with a bound, he came close to me, and just as I was about to draw my knife sprung on me, at the same time seizing the arm with which I tried to keep him off and fixing his claws in my shoulders. The pain was so great that I shrieked out; but there was no one within five miles to help me, and I knew that I must fight the battle myself for my life. My right arm being free, I plunged my long knife into the brute's stomach and ripped him up to the chest, giving him one or two digs behind the shoulder, which must have found his heart, as he suddenly relaxed his hold and fell from me. The flesh on my thigh was badly torn, as he had fixed his hind-legs there and scratched me, as I have seen two kittens do to each other at play. The struggle was all over in a few seconds, but I had been knocked down, torn, and my arm broken during the time. I tried to get up, but felt giddy and queer, and fell back insensible.

"When I came again to myself it was quite dark. I was in

great agony, and felt dreadfully thirsty; and though I could hear the rippling of water a few yards distant, could not move. The only chance of any one coming to my aid seemed to be that my pony would go home when he found that I did not return to him, and that, thinking something was wrong, some one might spoor me to where I lay. I had several times tried to move, but the attempts caused me much pain and I couldn't stir an inch. Once or twice I thought I felt against my shoulder a movement as thing crawling.

of some

"A long time seemed to pass before the day-light came. I lay almost fainting and stupid from the pain and cold, but at last determined to try and load my gun. turned my head with difficulty, and looked down for my weapon and powder-horn. As I looked at my broken arm which was lying useless beside me, I saw a great brown-looking thing lying over it-it was a hideous puff-adder, that had crept to me for the sake of warmth, and had been my companion for hours. I kept my eyes on him, and could see a slight muscular motion in his body every now and then, like breathing; the idea came across me that he had already bitten me, and was drinking my blood. At last the joyful sound of voices came upon my ear; but I dared not answer, lest the movement made in so doing might enrage the adder. As the footsteps and voices approached, however, the reptile raised his broad head to listen, and then dropped off and glided away in the brush-wood, and the party, consisting of my brother and three Hottentots, coming up, I was released from my perilous position and carried home on a litter of boughs."

THE habits of the panther are a good deal like those of the tiger, and though he is not nearly so large as the latter, and of not more than a third its weight, is much more courageous and cunning, and may be classed among the most formidable of the genus ferox. The length of the panther seldom exceeds seven and a half feet including the tail. He of India is spotted with rose-shaped spots, the tawny color of the skin being visible in the centre of the black, and the black only becoming a distinct spot toward the extremities of the animal and on its back. The favorite resort of the Indian panther is the immediate neighborhood of a sendbund or date-grove, for there wild hog abounds, and of the flesh of wild hog the panther is particularly fond.

As is the case with some other beasts of prey, the skin of the panther fits his body so loosely that it is little use hunting him with any thing but fire-arms. It would be convenient enough to spear him from the saddle as wild boars are speared; but unless the spear is extremely sharp, and the aim exactly true, there is a chance that the weapon will run between the skin and the flesh, only serving to