The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1908-07-23

hhim Ulu1 VI Allt ahlmaA AAhH'
against his chest before he could
wink
He had risen to his knees to make
the shot, and the impetus Of the at
tack threw him back upon his hams;
but with tremendous effort he was
able to keep himself from going over
completely on his back. The beast
was ripping the shirt on him with
horrid digs of its claws, while its
tense, swapping jaws shot hot breath
into his face and sought his jugular
vein. Just in time he caught its
shoulders with both hands, and by
sheer force OF will and muscle kept
the head away from him.
Then it was that he remembered
US and called for help; for he found
that he had strength enough to keep
the animal, for a few seconds, at
least, from his throat, and thought
that he could hold out until we came.
But the muscular strain must have
CONSTRUCTED his voice, for we heard
only a short exclamation, and that
was all. When we did arrive. the
fight was over.
Meanwhile an unexpected dig Of
the things claws caught him over the
eyebrow; and the gush of blood that
followed half-blinded and thoroughly
reused him; so that now he began to
struggle not only for life. but for re-
venge. Still wrestling with the beast,
he managed to get up on his feet, and
with a Herculean effort he tore II
from him and hurled It to the ground.
Before he could jump on II, however,
and crush it under his heavy weld
schoen, the leopard had sprung away.
It came back Immediately, with a
high vault into the air toward Piet's
face. He met it with two powerful
swings of his fists on its bullet head
that would have stunned an OK; for
you must remember that he was a
large boy, even for hts eighteen years,
and had the muscles of a heavy
weight prize-fghter. But the blows
caused the leopard simply to drop on
its feet a yard from him, when with
incredible swiftness OF rebound 1t
leaped again at him, this time catch
ing him with its Jaws high up on the
right shoulder. '--s-- ''----. ssi----,-
Fortunately the thick double seams
Of his Khaki jacket turned the ami
mails teeth. so that the bite was
hardly more than skin-deep; other
wise It might have proved the end
of the doughty Boer. AS It was, Piet,
with something hot and sticky blind
ing his eyes and wetting his shirt.
and making him feel that the leopard
had got the better Of him at last, was
maddened to desperation. and put all
of his great strength into one last
furious attempt to tear the vise-like
jaws loose. He gripped the neck, and
squeezing hard, jerked savagely away
from him.
The beast held on with deadly per-
tinacity, until the checking Of its
wind caused It to gasp a little, when.
with sickening tear Of clothes and
flesh, it came away so suddenly that
it was propelled far out of Piet's
grasp, and the recoil sent the boy fiat
on his back.
He was up again in an instant. rag
ing by now with the fury of the con-
hict. Wiping his eyes on his sleeve,
he looked for his antagonist, and was
all the more exasperated when he
found that It had totally disappeared.
He was still blihdly and frenziedly
hunting 1t, when John Gebers and the
rest OF us appeared; and overwrought
as he was from the awful struggle,
he turned his mad fury upon us.
When he had finished his narrative,
David Saalheld peered apprehensive-
ly over the hill and asked what had
become of the animal
Il not know dot. - replied Pet, N
his dialect. Maybe he gone pack to
der cave.
Il don't believe that broke in
John Gebers. who was the oldest and
most experienced OF our crowd. mot
after fighting the way It did. It
doesn't usually attack a man, but
when Il does Which way were
you facing, Piet, when you pulled the
thing from your"
i not know said the Boer. nurs-
ing his eyebrow.
Well" declared John, Il believe
you must have been facing the preci-
pice near the edge, and you threw 1t
clean over into the valley
@Why dots sol not drinks OF
dotl7 gasped Piet.
We all tarew ourselves fiat and
craned over the edge Of the elif
Only a few feet below was a fssure
In the rnck that made a narrnrr ladna