for the last time, of what little there was left of strange,
wild Nature, and how many of those who thus decried him, at this hour
snoring in bed, would have taken the trouble to turn out under the moon
to reduce the "vermin" aforesaid by one? With a lively gathering and
dogs, and all that, they were ready enough, but--generally missed what
they came out for, and were happy enough to shoot bushbucks instead.

One of these now passed immediately below him as he lay, a fine ram, its
dark hide and white belly, and long, straight, slightly spiral horns
showing in the moonlight almost as clear as by day. But he never moved.
This was not his game to-night. This was not what he had come out for.
Then he noticed that the animal began to show signs of uneasiness. It
stopped short, raised its head from the grass it had been daintily
nibbling, then resumed its nibbling. Then it raised its head again, and
seemed to be listening; its full lustrous eye turned towards him showed
concern. The head then turned towards the upper end of the kloof, and
in the clear light the spectator could even see the working of the
nostrils as the graceful animal snuffed in the still night air as though
winding something. Then with a couple of bounds it disappeared within
the blackness of the further line of bush.

The pulses of the lonely watcher tingled. What had alarmed the buck?
All his senses were now concentrated on the point towards which the
startled animal had been looking. Ah! This _was_ what he had come out
for.

There had stolen out into the open a shape, a long, cat-like, spotted
shape. Well he knew it, and now more than ever did excitement thrill
his frame. The beast paused, standing erect, its tail slightly waving,
its head thrown upwards and opened into a mighty yawn which displayed
its great fangs. There was a water-hole in the hollow of the kloof,
usually a mere mass of slimy liquid mud, now, thanks to the recent rains
fairly well filled. To this the leopard paced, its massive velvety paws
noiseless in their springy gait. Then dropping its head it began to
lap, and the disturbance of the water seemed quite loud in the stillness
of the night. Cautiously the watcher took aim. The question was should
he use the rifle or the shot barrel. At that short distance he could
not miss. He decided in favour of the bullet, and had just got his
sight well on behind the shoulder, when--

The great leopard raised its speckled hea