The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-08-25
ADVENTURES WITH A LEOPARD.


The ''kid's" Narrow Escape from
Being ''t hewed up by a wounded
Brute,
About the closest shave I ever had
with my life during my hunting trips
was with q leopard, says q writer in
the An'eric III Field AMI I never wish
to be in the same situation again. 1t
was while hunting across the Zambese.
There were Burns. George Holmes.
and ]. with about thirty Kaffirs in the
party. We had been searching about
for two days without finding any
spoor of elephants. when all at onco
about tho middle of tho third day
We came upon the spoor of i've ele-
plants
We followed the spoor to wood of
''wait-a-bit" bushes, etc. and 1t was
while going through the wood that
large leopard sprang up In front of US
and made off In another direction.
Burns, who was In the lead. made a
shot at him, but scored Q clean miss
on account of his horse rearing to one
side. noticed the brute made for a
bush to the right of US so Burns and
] started after him on foot leaving
George to look after the horses. We
thought the rest would do them good
before hunting tho elephants The
bush that the leopard made for was
about one hundred yards from US. but
when we reached it the leopard bad
vanished We hunted around for
minute or SO, when up jumped the
leopard about twenty yards from US.
We both fired together and the brute
made leap as If hard hit and sprang
behind bush to the left. We were
both creeping on toward the bush.
Burns was about six yards to the right
of me- when all at once he cried out:
Look out kidr But before / had
time to look OF do anything the leopard
sprang at me and foored me like ten
pins knocking my rifle from my hand
at the same time He sprang at me
from the left side. so In that way my
right arm was free. How got of as
lucky as I did I can not tell; but as
luck would have it my knife was ON
the right side of my belt. Drawing 1t,
l let the savage brute have its point
clean in Its snouh just as he was In the
act of grabbing at my throat ! Sup
pose the sting was more than be he'd
and gave him time to
think Lucky for me be did. for just
then Burns who had fixed his bayonet
came to my assistance. The brute
seeing another pointer coming toward
him. thought 1t best to clear out which
he did pretty quick ly; In fact, before
Burns could get dig at him he had
disappeared into the BUSH
The whole affair had been SO sudden
that / hardly know where / vas until |
Did Burns said:
':Are you hurt kidp"
Then jumped up prett quickly and |
felt all over me to lind outfit any bones
we're broken blessing the leopard and
big race at the same time. My left arm
was stunned from the elbow. and did
not know but what the left side of my
person had gone for walk, 1t was so
Anyhow, 1 soon felt all right
again. and with the exception of a
Jump of skin banging from my first
niger on the left hand. done by the
'rute's claw, no other damage had o.
'urred. l took piece of linen and
'ound the finger up with the lump of
kin in Its place, and the whole affair
rev together again, but the mark
hall carry to my dying day.
1t has been motto of mine never to
orglyc an enemy. aud I certainly con-
idered this leopard one. 80 made up
ny mind to have his skin if I had to
ave the skin Of oil my fingers clawed
fl. This | told Burns, and he said:
That's right, kid; revenge Is sweet
That's my motto"
So of we started to hunt the leopard
gain This time he seemed to have
one quite q distance; but all along
be spoor were spots of blood, caused
% doubt by the bullets he had received
7hen we both fired together. All at
nee Burns raised bis gun and fired at
bush about fifty yards in front of Us
nd In another moment I saw the leo
ard cropping to another bush short
istanoe ahead Burns had seen the
pimal through the bush. but the bull.
its must have bit some branch or
ther, for the leopard did not seem to
office anything except being surprised
= the report from the gun Burns
ow whispered to 60 cautiously. as the
rute was very savage now that 1t was
'ounded and would show good fight
,r liberty.
After creeping about fifteen yards
Turns pointed to the bush the leopard
ad gone TO- and there saw the old
'llow lying down. evidently in great
ain He would keep getting up and
ing down, ali the time licking bis
de. whore no doubt the wounds we're
bis time we decided to have good
'oadslds at him, so we crept to the
#, taking care not to let the animal
70 us When we got between fifty
I'D one hundred yards from him we
I'd good view, and watched bis an
cs for few minutes. Then. level
a our rifles. we both fired together.
he leopard sprang up. leaped about
velye feet, and rolled clean over on
8 side / was about to make o run
, to him when old Burns dragged me
lex. and lucky for me he did. for just
en- up jumped tho leopard and cut ,
me of the queerest capers l ever saw.
e afterward found out that one OF
e Bullets had gone clean through the
II Of his left eye and this no doubt {,
l. D.. |