bed of a stream; we were stealing quietly up to him,
when his guardian spirit whispered something in his ear, and up he
jumped. However, we polished him off, and having reloaded, we passed
on.

The country consisted of low, thorny jungle and small sandy plains of
short turf, and we were just entering one of these open spots within a
quarter of a mile of the dead elephant, when we observed a splendid
leopard crouching at the far end of the glade. He was about ninety
paces from us, lying broadside on, with his head turned to the opposite
direction, evidently looking out for game. His crest was bristled up
with excitement, and he formed a perfect picture of beauty both in
color and attitude.

Halting our gun-bearers, we stalked him within sixty yards; he looked
quickly round, and his large hazel eyes shone full upon us, as the two
rifles made one report, and his white belly lay stretched upon the
ground.

They were both clean shots: Palliser had aimed at his head, and had cut
off one ear and laid the skin open at the back of the neck. My ball
had smashed both shoulders, but life was not fairly extinct. We
therefore strangled him with my necktie, as I did not wish to spoil his
hide by any further wound. This was a pleasing sacrifice to the
"manes" of old Bluebeard.

E. Palliser had at one time the luck to have a fair turn up with a
leopard with the dogs and hunting-knife. At that time he kept a pack
at Dimboola, about nine miles from my house. Old Bluebeard belonged to
him, and he had a fine dog named "Pirate," who was the heaviest and
best of his seizers.

He was out hunting with two or three friends, when suddenly a leopard
sprang from the jungle at one of the smaller hounds as they were
passing quietly along a forest path. Halloaing the pack on upon the
instant, every dog gave chase, and a short run brought him to bay in
the usual place of refuge, the boughs of a tree.

However, it so happened that there was a good supply of large sharp
stones upon the soil, and with these the whole party kept up a spirited
bombardment, until at length one lucky shot hit him on the head, and at
the same moment he fell or jumped into the middle of the pack. Here
Pirate came to the front in grand style and collared him, while the
whole pack backed him up without an exception.

There was a glorious struggle of course, which was terminated by the
long arm of our friend Palliser, who slipped the hunting-knife into him
and