Evening star., 1909-06-20

African game. and those who know say 1t
Is hercer than the South American
iasuar.
The leopard is the hrainiest of the car
nlvora. The stories told by the natives
and hunters of its c'everness would fill
volumes One thing is certain. it gets its
food easier than any other animal. The
methods are simple in the extreme II
ascehos tree beside waterhole and
waits for its victim to come to drink
and then. flying like thunderboit from
the treetop. strikes down its prey with "a
blow, at the same time sinking its teeth
INTO vital spot.
On one occasion I had the good for
tune to witness scene. in which a leop-
ara was the chief actor that left an in
dellbie picture in the gallery of my MEM
Ory.
was hunting one day. with shi. a
rec, Tor food. We were unsuccessful
IN getting shot on the weld. and so
decided TO wait at vlei (waterhola)
III the game came to drink 1t was
beautifully calm day, with not the
slightest movement in the air We
made bed of leaves in a shelterng
nook and prepared for action The
smoothness of the deep blue water be-
lore us was broken only by the water
lizards as they leaped after the silver
DRAGON flies. Big. heavy winged. bril-
lant-hued butterflies flew erratically
ABOUT, and long-legged crane opposite
lis arranged its plumage as II admired
us graceful lines in the rejecting pool.
Ii was long wait. and I was almost
asleep, half dreaming. when the gen
pack to business. He pointed across
the vlei. There was a slight noise a
second or two later the broad horns of
a buffalo bull showed through the
leaves, and then came COW with
calf. They came to the water and
drank. | did not shoot. as | wanted
one of the smaller antelopes. \ little
later as though by signal. eland. water
buck. koodoo. duiker, wildebeest, blue
wildebeest reedbuck. impa a, blesbok.
oribi. giraffe, and dozens of other ami
mails too numerous to mention came
down to the vlei.
1t was a grand scene. all these grace
ful animals. as beautiful as though they
had stepped out of book of fairy tales.
minSling in perfect friendship There
was not a quarrel among them. The
bg-eyed. aristocratic-looking pookoo run
bed horns with the stately lechwe as
into the cool. inviting water. l was lost
in admiration. i hated to disturb the
beautiful scene by shot.
All at once. like an arrow, from the
tree above. shot the form of leopard
onto the back of buffalo calf. In a
fash there was a wild stampede. All
ran but the buffalo COW. the mother of
the calf. When the calf was struck it
fell. either dead or unconscious. and
the snarling leopard stood over its prey
for second. Then the COW charged
and hurled the marauder from her pros
trate young. fight commenced in
earnest.
The leopard sprang to its feet and
in instant was on the back OF the
COW. With the agility af a wrestler. she
fell and rolled over her aggressor, arising
to her feet again In a flash. Before
the leopard could spring she rushed at
him with below like foghorn. struck
him full and tossed hun into the
water In a moment the leopard was
on the bank again. 1t sprang at the cows
throat, but missed as she lodged aside.
Again the leopard sprang. The cow
fell back lifted her head and caught
it full underneath, her horn penetrating
with pain as it fell to the ground. bleed
ing freely from its double wound. and
the COW was covered with gashes from
its antagonists claws.
The leopard sprang again on the back
of the COW. but she easily shook him
off. He stood for moment and then
tried to stasger away. The buffalo made
rush. and. hurting him 10 the ground.
thrust HtT IlbI !lS dSdIii iito It's iiSiPl'Ss'
body He offered no resistance, but
rolled over on his side and died.
A young friend of mine. Jan van Ree-
nan. was killed in German East Africa
under peculiar circumstances. As no one
saw the happening 1t is hard to say how
il exactly occurred.
We were hunting for specimens for
German museum. When we reached
suitable hunting grounds we camped ana
set out daily in different directions IN
small PARTIES a German scientist accom-
panying each One morning a shikaree
came In with the news that the veid d
little way to the north was covered win
game The hunters with their rifles ana
the scientists with their notebooks ana
cameras set out. making wide detour
we divided into parties, a shikaree at the
head of each, with the exception of those
two which van Reenan and myself COM
manded. We soon reached the game.