Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-07

the day grew older and the sun
warmer. Vultures, hook-beaked and
hungry looking, which were attracted
by the smell of the meat, were
perched on every point where they
could find room. and hyenas and
jackals skulked on the outskirts of
the village, waiting a chance to rush
in like thieves and grab mouthful of
meat 1t was a scene sickening and
repulsive, but one that can be wit
messed almost any time in central AZ
rica.
About two weeks after the elephant
hunt reports reached my ears that
both leopards and lions were skulking
around the village and that a leopard
had rushed into the square early one
morning and seized the chiefs favor
ite dog. which it carried off. This was
to be expected. for the fire which the
natives had lit on the weld to round
up the elephants had kept on burning
and had driven the graminivorous ami
mails. on which the liors. leopards and
other carnivora fed, out of the dis
trict Therefore the village. with its
goats, dogs, fowls and human beings
was the nearest possible feeding
ground for these beasts.
Leopard Carries OFF Goat.
a few nights after the dog was
taken, just as I was finished writing
up my diary, a terrible commotion
arose In the village, shots were fired
and natives cried that a leopard had
seized and carried off a goat.
grabbed my .35 autoloading rifle and,
accompanied by dozen natives. ran
In the direction the leopard was last
seen. All night we beat about the vii
lage, but saw nothing but the vanish
ing, shadowy forms of hyenas.
In the morning traces of blood were
found in the grass to the north of the
village and from that we picked up
the spoor of the leopard, which we
traced to some rocks in an old river
bed, where we found, mixed with gore
and blood-stained gravel. the crunched
horns and a part of the skull of the
goat, After that. decided 1t was my
duty to sit up and get a shot at one of
the marauding beasts.
Accordingly, had the natives build
me a leaf shelter, near which l teth-
cred young goat to act as lure to
the leopards. For two nights l wait
ed. hidden in the leaves, from which
l could see the shadowy forms OF
prowling animals as they crossed the
sandy ground of the village that was
silver under the full moon. Unfortu-
nately. they were too far away to
offer sure shot. The third night also
passed without incident and l was
about tired of feeding mosquitoes and
various other denizens OF the insect
world; nevertheless, decided on
waiting another night. for hunters are
the same all over the world and they
try "once more" till they get their
quarry.
On the fourth night. which was
ter with that same fascinating hope
which is part of the equipment OF all
successful hunters. The poor little
goat that was acting as bait had be-
come tired OF bleating and had gone
to sleep. l, too, was dozy. almost
nodding. when heard the gentle, un-
mistakable brush or hair against the
leaves near my shelter. l was afraid
to move lest I frighten the beast,
which soon passed by and crouched to
spring. The moon for a second lit the
scene and saw the animal was
leopard. The goat. evidently smelling
the leopard. rose and ran to the enc
of its tetber. The leopard sprang.
fired at the same instant and the huge
body struck the earth with heavy
thud. Natives, awakened by the ex'
plosives, came running from the huts'
Torches were lit and when We exam
ined the dead leopard we found tna'
the bullet had passed clear through
its brain. A lucky shot. for aimeo
at its body
Copyright. 1902 by Bcnj. B. Hampton}