Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-03-07
IN A WILD LEoPARo's DEN.
A Hunter Led to His Prey by Troup ~
Baboons.

Cigar was Hottentot and a mighty
hunter of both large and small game.
His skill in the use of firearms was 80
great that report credited him with
having shot several white men. Cir
cumstances made Cigar a guide and
companion in South Africa of Parker
Gilmore, who won his heart by treat
ing him with kindness. One night as
they sat together on the wagon box
Cigar told his master the story of an
adventure with leopard, which we
condense from the authors days and
Nights in the Desert"
One day, while looking out for box,
Cigar came across the spoor of Loop
ard, beast far more cunning and
dangerous than lion. The Hotten-
tots gun was an old f1int-lock musket
which did not always go off. But he
was nearly out of ammunition and the
leopard's skin would buy him trade
bag of powder, so he followed the
leopard's spoor from stone to brush
and from stump to tree.
The chase was q long one and led
the hunter to a rocky ravine, where
the tracking would have been difficult
and dangerous had not a pack OF
balloons Unexpectedly come to his aid.
When the balloons discovered their
enemy stealthily creeping among tho
rocks they followed at safe distance,
bowling out their rage and hatred.
Cigar heard the cries and made for
an elevated rock, whence he saw the
leopard ascend the opposite side OF the
ravine and enter cleft j.. the rocks.
Knowing that the leopard had gone
into her den, Cigar selected hiding
place within easy range OF the ledge
in which the cave opened and waited
for the animal to come out.
AS soon as the balloons began to
howl the leopard came forth from her
| den, followed by two cubs about IL
weeks old. Thereupon the balloons
forsook the Hottentot and directed
their attention to the leopard, who had
extended herself upon the ledge, and
Law on her side in order that the cubs
might more easily take their food.
Cigar, having taken time for .
steady aim at her heart, fired, and the
! beast rolled over on her back dead.
The cubs ran into the cave and the
ran into the ledge, skinned the leopard
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then considered how he should secure
the cubs alive.
The interior of the cave is dark, and
low in the roof, but smooth on the
floor, which was thickly covered with
sand. Cigar crawled on his stomach
to the end of the cave, where he CROPPED
about and soon touched a splitting and
Kissing cub. With much trouble and
many scratches and bites he secured it
and brought it out into the daylight,
where he left it lying on the ledge
with its four feet tied together.
On re-entering the cave, Cigar took
with him his loaded musket, thinking
| that the father might return and dis
cover him rifiing his home.
| The second cub had squeezed itself
/ into such deep crack that it took the
| Hottentot half an hour to draw it out
While tying its feet the little light fail
] ed. all was dark within. There could
be but one cause for the darkness, and
the Hottentot prepared for the fight
| that must end in the death of hunter
/ or leopard, or of both.
He knew, even in the darkness,
! where his foe was, for the leopard's
, eyes glowed like balls Of fire. The