I Hoped That He Would Return The Next Night
To Make A Meal; And Should He Do So, I Determined
To Have My Revenge.
I accordingly left the
carcases exactly as they lay, and having a very
powerful steel trap - like an enormous
Rat-trap,
and quite strong enough to hold a leopard if
he should put his foot in it - I placed this in the
opening into the shed and secured it by a stout
chain to a long stake driven into the ground
outside. Darkness found everyone in my boma
on the alert and listening anxiously to hear the
noise the leopard would make the moment he was
caught in the trap. Nor were we disappointed,
for about midnight we heard the click of the
powerful spring, followed immediately by frantic
roaring and plunging. I had been sitting all
evening with my rifle by my side and a lantern
lighted, so I immediately rushed out, followed by
the chaukidar (watchman) carrying the lamp.
As we approached the shed, the leopard made
a frantic spring in our direction as far as the
chain would allow him, and this so frightened
the chaukidar that he fled in terror, leaving me
in utter darkness. The night was as black as
had been the previous one, and I could see
absolutely nothing; but I knew the general
direction in which to fire and accordingly emptied
my magazine at the beast. As far as I could
make out, he kept dodging in and out through the
broken wall of the goat-house; but in a short
time my shots evidently told, as his struggles
ceased and all was still.
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