A LEOPARD HUNT.

The dense jungles of Bengal was the place of the leopard’s resort, and the havoc which it committed among the cattle was prodigious.  It was dreaded, far and near, on this account, by the natives, and they scrupulously avoided their spotted enemy, knowing well that when his appetite was whetted with hunger, he was not over scrupulous whether his victims were beasts or men.  On one occasion, the monster made a dash upon a herd of beeves, and succeeded in carrying off a large ox; and loud was the lament of the poor Hindoos that one of the sacred herd had thus unceremoniously been assailed and slaughtered before their eyes.  A party of the Bengal native infantry, consisting of an officer and five others, having been informed of the circumstance, followed in the direction of the leopard’s den determined, if possible, to punish him for this and the many other depredations he had committed.  Having come to an intervening ravine, they were about to cross it, when they saw the object of their search on the opposite side.  There he was, lying in his lair, heedless of danger, and luxuriously feasting on the carcass of his captive.  It was the monster’s last meal, however.  The party approached with stealthy steps, as near as they could without crossing the defile.  “Take your aim! fire!” cried the captain, in Hindostanee, we suppose.  They did so, and four balls pierced the leopard, three in the neck and one in a more dangerous place, through the brain.  Startled by this unpleasant salute, the animal rose, gazed with glaring eyes on its enemies, at the same time pawing the earth in its pain fury.

The sepoys were astonished that he did not roll lifeless at their feet; but, instead of this, before they had time to reload, the creature, after uttering a terrific cry, sprang across the ravine and seized one of its assailants.  It must have been, in some degree, weakened by its wounds; but its strength was yet great, for the man seemed to have no power of resistance to its attack.  The leopard, having a hold of the sepoy in its mouth, darted off in the direction of a jungle close at hand, the other soldiers following up as fast as they could, but not daring to fire, lest they should injure their luckless comrade Sometimes they lost sight of the leopard and its bleeding burden; but the blood marks on the grass or on the sand enabled them to regain the trail, and to carry on the pursuit.  The animal at length came to a small river; it hesitated for a little on the brink, and then leaped in, still tenaciously retaining its prey.  The stoppage thus occasioned enabled the pursuers to gain ground, and, just after the leopard had emerged from the river, and was shaking its skin free from the watery drops, one of the party seized the auspicious moment, and fired.  The beast dropped its prey at once, howled furiously, and then fell dead.  To their great surprise and joy, the soldiers found that their comrade