Presently he returned with Wolf
and Boxer, very much done up with the sun. I rode forward, and, on
looking over the bank, the leopard started up and sneaked off alongside
of the tall reeds, and was instantly out of sight. I fired a random shot
from the saddle to encourage the dogs, and shouted to them; they,
however, stood looking stupidly around, and would not take up his scent
at all. I led them over his spoor, again and again, but to no purpose;
the dogs seemed quite stupid, and yet they were Wolf and Boxer, my
two best.

At length I gave it up as a lost affair, and was riding down the river's
bank, when I heard Wolf give tongue behind me, and, galloping back,
found him at bay with the leopard, immediately beneath where I had fired
at him; he was very severely wounded, and had slipped down into the
river's bed and doubled back, whereby he had thrown out both the dogs
and myself. As I approached, he flew out upon Wolf and knocked him over,
and then, running up the bed of the river, took shelter in a thick bush:
Wolf, however, followed him, and at this moment my other dogs came up,
having heard the shot, and bayed him fiercely. He sprang out upon them,
and then crossed the river's bed, taking shelter beneath some large
tangled roots on the opposite bank. As he crossed the river, I put a
third bullet into him, firing from the saddle, and, as soon as he came
to bay, I gave him a fourth, which finished him. This leopard was a very
fine old male; in the conflict, the unfortunate Alert was wounded, as
usual, getting his face torn open; he was still going upon three legs,
with all his breast laid bare by the first water-buck.

In the evening I directed my Hottentots to watch a fine pool in the
river, and do their best, while I rode to a distant pool several miles
up the Ngotwani, reported as very good for game, to lie all night and
watch: my Totties, however, fearing "Tao," disobeyed me. On reaching the
water I was bound for, I found it very promising, and, having fastened
my two horses to a tree beneath the river's bank, I prepared a place of
concealment close by, and laid down for the night.

The river's banks on each side were clad with groves of shady thorn
trees. After I had lain some time, squadrons of buffaloes were heard
coming on, until the shady grove on the east bank of the water
immediately above me was alive with them. After some time the leaders
ventured down the river's bank to drink, and this was the signal