The Press., 1915-11-10
The Leopard
of Hafia
A Story of Man and
Beast

BY CLARISSA MAcKIE

pet before 1t were two men, Amer
cans. The younger one refilled his pip
and looked up into his companion
grave, lined face.
do you know, Rowland" he sale
with boyish enthusiasm, Il wouldn'
have missed this trip with you for {
years income! It's greatp
Glad you like it." mumbled How
land.
Pearson went on, speaking rapidly:
II was mighty glad that you invited
me to come along and make the pho
tographs for your book. It's taking ME
out Of the amateur class into profes
sional photography.
| "And that's not all, Rowland. II
you hadn't invited me along l would
be grubbing away In Wall street to
night instead of seeing the fire of the
sunset on the sand, the breeze In tn,
| palms and ALI there smoking his wa
ter pipe"
Rowland laughed oddly.
~ hope the remainder OF the triI
suits you as WELL" he said carelessly
I'VE reach the edge Of the jungle to
morrow at sunset"
"Goodr'
The desert was dark now. and above
the far horizon the rim OF a blood red
moon lifted slowly.
Silence brooded over the place. The
camels, mere brown Jumps of shadow
slept. Ali and his fellow servants had
withdrawn to a distance, where they
squatted in the sand, silent, meditat-
ing.
Pearson shook the ashes out of his
pipe and yawned.
81 believe I'll turn in for awhile" he
apologized. you'll want to start by
midnight, suppose"
Yes; good night" said Rowland
shortly.
Pearson vanished within the tent, and
Rowland sat alone, motionless. His
cold eyes were fixed on the rising moon,
and fine, thin smile edged his lips.
A cluster of overripe dates thudded
to the ground, and he started violently.
ut will soon be over" he muttered.
land the book-can go hang"
Then he, too, disappeared within the
tent to get a few hours sleep, If posi-
BILE. But an uneasy conscience made
his slumber very broken and filed with
most disquieting dreams. The sound
of persons slumbering quietly near by
filled him with intense rage, and he
finally left the tent to sit outside and
smoke his pipe.
The next day at sunset found How
lands party encamped at the edge OF
the jungle. Here the desert had
merged into low hills clothed in coarse
vegetation and scattered rocks. In the
background doomed the jungle, dark
| mysterious and forbidding.
This looks like lion country" re-
marked Pearson as he slipped Ali's
delicious coffee.
1T is lion country" agreed How
land. "See how uneasy the camels
are, and the bearers are badly fright
ened."
Il suppose you will be sending the
| camels back to Podok," said Pearson.
Rowland nodded. 1.-THE blacks can
pack the supplies, and when l come
back from the jungle trip 1 can send
runner after Ali and his camels'
Before midnight Ali and his camel
train had vanished In the desert, and
with their going Bob Pearson felt a
strange sense of depression.
He tried to shake off the feeling, but
II chung to him and kept sleep away
from his weary eyes.
In the cool Of early dawn Rowland
shook him roughly.
Come out here" he said In a tense
tone. 81 want to show you some
thing"
Alert, Pearson seized his shotgun and
followed Rowland outside the tent.
In the east the horizon was pearl
gray. Overhead the stars cleaned in
the deep blue sky.
what is the matterY' whispered
Pearson.
"See" Howland's arm swept in a
gesture that overleaped the circle of
guardian fires with their sleepy at
tendants.
Pearson looked and saw ON a nearby
hillock the black silhouette of stalk
ing lion.
"Jove" he muttered. Gam 1 to have
a try at himT'
mo; I'm saving you for the leopard
of Hafia," returned Rowland quickly.
Pearson laughed.
Saving me for the leopard, eh?'' he
repeated. Sounds a bit cold blooded
Rowland"
Saving the leopard for you. them
said Rowland In an odd tone. 'aThis
leopard Of Haf1a has a record, they
say"
yes"
Three hundred natives or more has
he carried Off. He's easily the king of
brutes''
I'D like to get him." said Pearson
wistfully.
Howland's gunshot rang out with
startling suddenness. The lion grunt-
ed savagely and disappeared over the
brow Of the hill.
The black boys huddled in abject
fear.
"Missedr' laughed Rowland "But
I'm glad. l don't want him bothering
around when that leopard comes"
81 may as well sit up here and wait
AOA hihlp ottlu cdIOOu, CALlluS SAOoS
legged before the tent and placing his
weapon beside him.
ut is as WE'LL" said Rowland
For long time they sat there, wait.
ing for the dawn and the coming of
the leopard of Hafia. Pearson recalled
all the stories of this man eating ter.
ror which Ali had poured in his ears,
and then his thoughts drifted to James
Rowland and how changed he was
from the man he had always known.
At the beginning of the expedition
Rowland had been companionable
enough, but latterly he had grown
moody and silent and almost unbeara-
bly, taciturn.
Then Parsons thoughts few to
girl back there In New York, Eleanor
Browning. He had asked her to marry
him the night he called to say fare