The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-09-15

1t takes longer to write this thar to give
on idea of what actually happened. The
native who was tearing a hole in the thatch
of the shed had rashly tried to look in to
see where the leopard was. In q moment
the leopard sprang at him, and its head APP
peared through the thatch. My companion
put his gun to the beasts head and sent a
bullet through it's brain. so that it dropped
dead into the hut. But there were loud
cries from the native on the roof, for the
bullet, after passing through the leopard's
skull, had grazed the mans body, so that
he was bleeding profusely and crying out
that he was killed. He was quickly brought
down from the roof of the shed, and his
wound was washed and found to be little
more than skin deep. A present of q few
rupees soon comforted him, and he became,
not undeservedly, the hero of the day
among his fellow villagers.
AS q rule, it is best to shoot leopards on
foot, the alternative being to shoot them
from q howdah on the back of an elephant.
There are several reasons for this. In the
first place, when a man is on foot and can
post himself judiciously so as to get a clear
shot the leopard is more likely to come
out, as it is wanted to come, as soon as the
beaters begin to try to drive it with their
sticks and clubs and shouts, in the direc-
ton indicated. The leopard either comes
sneaking out, half stopping to listen to the
noises behind him, or he may come out at
full speed, making his way to another
patch of bushes.
Ny friend Mr.. F. b. Simson, by far the
best shot and sportsman of his time in
lower Bengal, has written in his book that
he used to f1atter himself that he could put
a ball pretty nearly exactly where he liked
into a leopard at from 25 to 40 yards dis
tance. 1t was not my good fortune to be
able to do anything like that. The leopard
is not a large animal, and it's vulnerable
parts, especially the head and neck, are
small. 1t bounds along very fast, and the
pace is always deceptive. l have made some
lucky shots end rolled over several leopards
by "a bullet just behind the shoulder. !
have missed or merely slightly wounded
others. Still it is better to be on foot than
on an elephant. have shot leppards from
an elephant, but my recollection of leopards
in connection with the howdah are not al
together pleasant.
One day, after a long and weary beat for
tigers for several hours with old Pundit
Grant in D%inagepore, we at last disturbed
a leopard. 1t quickly hid itself, and with
our 12 elephants we searched for it for
nearly all hour among bushes that would
uilNt IuTily ulQutIl a. uuIe. LII lTOlU "a US
was a large tank full of water. which the
leopard could not have SWIM across with
out being seen. My elephant was rather in
front and had reached the top of the bank of
the tank. The mahout, Disguised and tired,
was sitting loosely with his feet out of the
stirrnps, and l was standing carelessly
leaning forward in the howdah, with my
gun in my hand. Suddenly the leopard
jumped up right under the elephants trunk,
and the elephant started back, nearly
throwing the mahout off, while l was
pitched against the front panel of the how-
dab with q blow that knocked the wind
put of me and hit me so hard on the chest
that l was black and blue for several days.
OF course the leopard escaped.
Another day, when out with the lieuten-
ant governor of Bengal, We found a leopard
which ran and hid itself in a small patch OF
matching grass not two feet high. More
than a dozen elephants were brought up to
trample down the grass md turn out the
leopard, and for more than IN hour we
pounded away, but never saw the leopard.
AT last, when we all had our backs turned
to 1t, the leopard crcpt out and got among
the huts and houses Of the village, and we
saw it no more.
Mr.. Wood, the naturalist, described the
leopard as a creature Of almost inoffeusivo
hnbits, but an enemy to poultry and fatal
to fowls. On tho other hand, / have re-
Gently seen au account In an Indian paper
OF a leopard that killed in tho course Of IS
months moro thnn $50 human beings.
Whore Canary Birds Are Kaiscd and Sold.
The peasants Of Germany raise in round
numbers 100000 canary birds. OF these
100000 are shipped to the United States.
Tho next greatest demand for the birds
comes from England, which takes 10000
birds annually. Tho finer birds are usual.
ly sold in Germany, where higher prices can
be obtained for tho best birds than any
where else