were
not altogether unprotected, for when they rubbed the sleep out of
their eyes in the morning, they found the jackal curled up at their
feet, with one ear cocked and one eye open. But a very different
jackal he was from the graceful animal they knew so well. His body
was distended to enormous proportions, and it was clear how his
absence was to be accounted for. While they had stood in the dark,
expecting every moment to be pounced upon, he had been gorging on
the dead leopard. They now looked at their foe of the night, and
found why it was that it had left them uninjured. There were three
wounds on the body--the bullet-hole in the forehead, a fleshy wound
on the hind leg, and a hit on the spine, which had disabled it just
as it was in the act of springing down upon the roof.

"It's your bag," said Compton. "To think that we stood shivering and
shaking for two mortal hours, while all the time the beggar was
helpless!"

Venning did not echo the complaint; he was too much occupied
examining his prize, and taking exact measurements with a tape,
which he entered in his log' book, together with a description of
the markings.

"It's a new species," he said, with the pride of an explorer who
discovers a new mountain. "I will call it a tree-lion--leo
arboriensis Venningii--that is, if you don't wish it called after
you."

"Call it anything you like, old fellow; but I should say it was just
an ordinary leopard."

"You never saw a leopard with those markings."

"And no one ever saw a climbing lion."

"It has adapted itself to changed conditions. The markings match
the colouring of the branches, and there has been a change in the
formation of the claws"--holding up a huge paw--"while the forearm
is a little curved, and the skin between the elbow and the body
bears a resemblance in its growth to that found on the so-called
'flying-squirrel.'"

"It's a tough customer, whatever it is, and I hope that it is the
last of its kind. Do you know that we have no more water?"

"I shall examine the contents of the stomach, and I fully expect to
find that its usual prey is the monkey."

"It had a great hankering for white man, at any rate. Did you hear
me say there was no water?"

"Its hind legs are very much longer than the fore legs--another
proof of an arboreal existence. It's a most important find. I wish
Mr. Hume were here."

"So do I," said Compton, heartily, stirring the jackal with his
foot.

That sagacio