The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-06-21

any larger animals that might be near,
by firing at these pigs, so we were con-
tent to watch them as they turned up
the ground, and fed on the roots they
got.
Suddenly, without any apparent
cause two or three of these pigs gave a
sharp grunt, and ran Off into the bush.
We thought they had by their power OF
| scent discovered our proximity to them
but we shortly found their alarm was
| due to a much more dangerous enemy
than man-an enemy whose cunning
was greater than even that Of the oldest
boar among the party, and whose
strength was such, that a full-grown
pig was, compared TO him, little more
! than rat TO cat. The animal that
| caused the alarm was leopard.
Whilst We were pondering what had
caused the sudden departure of the pigs,
we heard a rustling of leaves and
branches, sudden rush, a sound as of
struggling, a sharp squeak or two, and
all was quiet again. We strained our
eyes to distinguish the forms of the vic
tim and its slayer, as the two lay half
concealed among the thick underwood.
At length we made out the form Of the
leopard, lying on the body OF the pig.
The ferocious animal had adopted its
usual mode of seizing its prey by the
back of the neck, and had succeeded in
breaking the neck of the pig in a very
few seconds.
Here was a creature well worthy of
our lead, 50 we quietly changed our
position to bring our gun to bear on the
leopard. Although apparently fully
occupied with its prey, the leopard was
still on the alert, for slight as was the
noise we made in moving, he rose quick
ly, glanced upwards, and with grace
ful bound was out of sight before we
could pull q trigger or even take aim.
The pig We knew was dead, 50 we de.
cided that we would have q ham Of it
before long. The leopard had scarcely
left his prey halfan hour, before stealthy
steps were heard approaching the dead
pig, and soon two hyenas were busily
employed on feasting on it. The noises
we made in the tree alarmed them, but
they were not TO be baked of their
feast, for seizing a huge piece Of pig,
they scampered off TO q distance with it.
After finishing this piece they would
sneak up to the carcass, lay hold of q
fresh piece, and rush off with that. The
hyenas, between them, nearly finished
the pig, the remains were satisfactorily
accounted for by some jaeka!s, and
what appeared in the dim light to be
ichneumons. The latter fought and
squabbled over the bones and scraps
like so many hungry dogs, and by day
light we found scarcely sigu of the
wild pig, all that remained of it being
some blood on the dry grass where it
had fallen.
1t is surprising the amount Of animal
life that moves about by night in q wild
country. No one would for a moment
suspect that in his immediate neighbOr-
hood there were a multitudeo Of creatures
which ho never saw, unless he watched
for them by night. We have seen crea-
lures that are very uncommon roaming
about by night in the most reckless
manner. a few years ago, we We're
staying at Il friends house in the coun-
try, and having seen strange signs on
his lawn, we watched one night when
the moon gave 4 light in order to see
what night wanderers visited us. Be-
fore long we observed two little dark
objects moving on the lawn, and on
coming quickly up to them, we sur
prised two hedge hogs, creatures we
had not seen by day anywhere near The
lawn. Upon following up the trail, we
found they actually lived in some cover
on the borders of the lawn and within
fifty yards Of the house.
At the time VIC saw the wild pig kill
ed by the leopard, there was scarcely
half an hour during which several crea-
lures did not pass our post, but the
greatest excitement occurred just as the
day was breaking.
Several times during the night we
had heard the sharp crack Of broken
branch in the distant forest, and now
and then a shrill sharp cry, both of
which told us that elephants were not
far Off. To attempt to obtain a shot at
them by night would have been too
dangerous, and unlikely to result in
success, as the underwood in the bush
was 50 dense, that even on q bright
sunny day, objects We're scarcely distin-
guishGble in the gloom. There was a
probability, however, Of these giants OF
the forest coming out into the open, and
ifso, We might obtain x Gho! ct them
| from our trees.
twas not till just before sunrise that
the herd Of elephants came near the tree
in which we were concealed, and then
they seemed to scent danger, for instead
of coming boldly forward they stopped
and blowing through their trunks, ap
pearcd to be carefully scouting the air
Whether they really smelt danger it il
impossible to say, but they would moi
approach nearer to the edge of the bush
and we could not obtain view Of any
of them.
After passing night in tree without
firing a shot, it was impossible to resis
the temptation offered by the proximity
of these elephants, SO that as soon a
there was sufficient daylight for us t.
see our way, We entered the dense forest
and endeavored to get shot at one o
them. We soon found that our presenc
was quite well known to these craft.
animals, for they trumpeted and grum
bled as we approached, and before w
expected it, COW elephant, with a cal
charged through the bush towards Us
We had to retreat with all speed at on