up hard and sharp like so many spikes of steel; and knowing that the leopard was already badly wounded, and in all probability struggling for his life, he managed to drag the struggling animal up to the stump; jammed his left arm yet further into the open mouth of the wounded beast, and being a strong man, by pure physical force dashed the leopard’s brains out on the jagged edges of the stump.  It was a splendid instance of presence of mind.  He was horribly mauled of course; in fact I believe he lost his arm, but he saved his life.  It shows the danger of only wounding a leopard, especially if he is coming towards you; always wait till he has passed your station, if it is practicable.  If you must shoot, take what care you can that the shot be a sure one.

In some of the hill stations, and indeed in the villages on the plains, it is very common for a leopard to make his appearance in the house or verandah of an evening.

One was shot in Bhaugulpore station by the genial and respected chaplain, on a Sunday morning two or three years ago.  As we went along, H. told us a humorous story of an Assistant in the Public Works Department, who got mauled by a leopard at Dengra Ghat, Dak Bungalow.  It had taken up its quarters in a disused room, and this young fellow burning, with ardour to distinguish himself, made straight for the room in which he was known to be.  He opened the door, followed by a motley crowd of retainers, discharged his gun, and the sequel proved that he was not a dead shot.  He had only wounded the leopard.  With a bound the savage brute was on him, but in the hurry and confusion, he had changed front.  The leopard had him by the back.  You can imagine the scene!  He roared for help!  The leopard was badly hit, and a plucky bearer came to his rescue with a stout lathee.  Between them they succeeded in killing the wounded animal, but not before it had left its marks on a very sensitive portion of his frame.  The moral is, if you go after leopard, be sure you kill him at once.

They seldom attack a strong, well-grown animal.  Calves, however, goats, and dogs are frequently carried off by them.  The young of deer and pig, too, fall victims, and when nothing else can be had, peafowl have been known to furnish them a meal.  In my factory in Oudh I had a small, graceful, four-horned antelope.  It was carried off by a leopard from the garden in broad daylight, and in face of a gang of coolies.

The most commonly practised mode of leopard shooting, is to tie a goat up to a tree.  You have a mychan erected, that is, a platform elevated on trees above the ground.  Here you take your seat.  Attracted by the bleating of the goat, the prowling leopard approaches his intended victim.  If you are on the watch you can generally detect his approach.  They steal on with extreme caution, being intensely wary and suspicious.  At a village near where we now were, I had sat up for three nights for a leopard, but although I knew he was prowling in the vicinity, I had never got a look at him.  We believed this leopard to be the same brute.