g stretched dead, on the ground
with its throat bitten through. A hole had been made through the frail
wall of the shed, and I saw from this and from the tracks all round
that the author of the wholesale slaughter had been a leopard. He had
not eaten one of the flock, but had killed them all out of pure love of
destruction.

I hoped that he would return the next night to make a meal; and should
he do so, I determined to have my revenge. I accordingly left the
carcases exactly as they lay, and having a very powerful steel
trap--like an enormous rat-trap, and quite strong enough to hold a
leopard if he should put his foot in it--I placed this in the opening
into the shed and secured it by a stout chain to a long stake driven
into the ground outside. Darkness found everyone in my boma on the
alert and listening anxiously to hear the noise the leopard would make
the moment he was caught in the trap. Nor were we disappointed, for
about midnight we heard the click of the powerful spring, followed
immediately by frantic roaring and plunging. I had been sitting all
evening with my rifle by my side and a lantern lighted, so I
immediately rushed out, followed by the chaukidar (watchman) carrying
the lamp. As we approached the shed, the leopard made a frantic spring
in our direction as far as the chain would allow him, and this so
frightened the chaukidar that he fled in terror, leaving me in utter
darkness. The night was as black as had been the previous one, and I
could see absolutely nothing; but I knew the general direction in which
to fire and accordingly emptied my magazine at the beast. As far as I
could make out, he kept dodging in and out through the broken wall of
the goat-house; but in a short time my shots evidently told, as his
struggles ceased and all was still. I called out that he was dead, and
at once everyone in the boma turned out, bringing all the lanterns in
the place. With the others came my Indian overseer, who shouted that he
too wanted revenge, as some of the goats had belonged to him. Whereupon
he levelled his revolver at the dead leopard, and shutting his eyes
tightly, fired four shots in rapid succession. Naturally not one of
these touched the beast, but they caused considerable consternation
amongst the onlookers, who scattered rapidly to right and left. Next
morning a party of starving Wa Kamba happened to be passing just as I
was about to skin the leopard, and asked by means of signs to be
allowed t