Part 21 (1/2)
”I know that there are leopards in the country, but we have never yet fallen in with one Are they dangerous?”
”The leopard shuns any conflict with man, but when driven to desperation it becoonist I recollect very well two boors having attacked a leopard, and the ani hotly pressed by the upon the one nearest, pulling hi hier of his co froh the head Heupon _hi hirappled with the aniether down a steep cliff As soon as the first hunter could reload his gun, he rushed after them to save his friend, but it was too late The aniled him so dreadfully, that death was inevitable and all that thethe leopard”
”That proves the leopard is not to be trifled with”
”No animal is, when it stands at bay, or is driven to desperation; and, in confirmation of this, I once witnessed one of these anie of a precipice by a mounted hunter, seized the man's foot with its teeth, and actually tore it off, so that, although medical aid was at hand, the man died froical issue to the chase of a wild jackass,” observed the Major
”No; but 'in the midst of life we are in death,' and we never know from whence the blow may come Until it occurred, such an event was supposed i but ridicule
By the by, one of our goodhis life by a leopard He went to save a Hottentot who had been seized, and was attacked by the leopard which, as in the foronist to meet his second Fortunately, Mr S was a very powerful iven him than in the former instance Neither he nor the Hottentot, however, escaped without severe wounds, which confined them for many weeks”
”Is there more than one variety of leopard, Swinton?”
”Yes, there is the co leopard; besides, I think, two or three ser-cat and wild cat
What do you propose doing to-day? Do you stay here, or advance, Wilnoos; he has never killed one yet; and as I am of his opinion, that a day's rest will recover the oxen, and we are in no hurry, I think we may as well stop and provision our camp for a few days”
”With all my heart I a us to kill the poor ox; however, it can not be helped There is a large body of gnoos and quaggas under that small hill to the ard; but there are better aniet a little further to the northward”
”Which are those?”
”The eland, the largest of the antelope species, and so more than a thousand pounds; moreover, they are very fat, and very easy to run down They are excellent eating When I was in the Namaquas'
land, we preferred theame on the plain there”
”What?”
Omrah pointed them out ”They are either Bushmen (tame Bushmen, as they are called, in contradistinction to the others), or else Korannas; ht towards us; but Mahomed says breakfast is ready”
By the time that breakfast was finished, a party of twelve Korannas had joined the caravan Theyto the straps which confined their stomachs The interpreter told them that they were about to hunt, and that they should have soame, at which they were much pleased
”Do you knohat those straps are called, round their waists, Wilmot?”
said Swinton ”They are called the belts of faer, and they say that they are a great relief I have no doubt but such is the fact”
”Well,” said the Major, ”I hope soon to enable the poor fellows to loosen their belts, and fill their stoht as a drum Saddle the horses, Bremen Omrah, you ride my spare horse and carry lish, although he spoke but feords, gave a nod of the head and went off to the wagon for the Major's rifle
CHAPTER XIX
As soon as the horses were ready, our travelers set out in chase of the gnoos and quaggas, which were collected to the ard of the caravan
Bremen, Swanevelt, and Omrah were uns, and the Korannas on foot; a to those who had never seen the gnoos the manner in which he used to kill them