p, turned
around two or three times, and for a while seemed to have lost all
consciousness of what had transpired. Its young and its enemy were for
a time apparently forgotten in the agony it was suffering from a broken
jaw. This, however, was but for a few seconds, for the sight of the
hunter soon after aroused it to a perfect realisation of all that had
taken place.

Willem, after firing, had run off to about fifty paces, and then stopped
to reload. While so engaged he kept his eye fixed upon the leopard. It
was again coming towards him, no longer with the caution it had before
exhibited, but in a manner that showed its whole animal nature was
absorbed by the spirit of revenge.

By the time he had placed the bullet in the barrel of his gun and driven
it home, the brute was close upon him. There was not time for him to
withdraw the ramrod, much less to put on a cap. Grasping his roer by
the barrel, he prepared to defend himself, intending to use the weapon
as a club. The enraged creature was about to make a spring upon him,
when assistance came from a quarter altogether unexpected.

One of the dogs--a large bull-dog called "Smoke"--had not followed the
buffaloes to cover. It had obeyed its master's command when called back
from the chase. Just as the leopard was crouching upon the earth to
gather force for the final spring, Smoke seized it by one of the hind
legs. Not a second of time was lost by Willem. One more chance for
life had been thus given him, and he hastened to avail himself of it.

The hammer of the lock was thrown back and a cap placed on the nipple in
less time than nine out of ten well-drilled soldiers could have
performed the same feat; but by the time it was done, and the gun
brought to his shoulder, poor Smoke was lying in his death-struggle
along the grass.

The _felidea_ had turned to renew the attack on its human enemy. One
second more, and its huge body would have been launched against him,--
its sharp claws buried in his flesh.

He pulled trigger and sprang backwards. A cloud of smoke rolled before
his eyes, and, as this cleared away, he saw the leopard laid out along
the earth by the side of the wounded dog,--like the latter, kicking out
its legs in the last throes of death.

On looking for his companions, Willem saw that Macora and his men,
having stopped at a distance of about five hundred yards off, had
witnessed his victory. The chief was now hastening towards him on fo