nstructed, and
climbed into a large tree, from which we could obtain a good view all
round. It had not even become dark when, as we sat silent and
motionless in the tree, we saw the leopard come through some long grass
and creep towards our trap. It crouched for some time near the trap and
seemed to be listening, and then slowly crept in. In half a minute the
door dropped, and the leopard was trapped. In an instant Inyoni
descended the tree and ran off to the kraal, whilst I and Tembile
remained up the tree. We could hear the leopard moving about inside the
hut, but whenever he did so we called out, and he was at once silent,
and appeared as if he were afraid of making any noise.

In what appeared to be a very short time Inyoni came back, and with him
about twenty men, among whom was the chief. They were all armed with
five assagies each, and one of the men carried a piece of wood that was
on fire. The Caffres came up very quietly, and then surrounded the hut,
remaining about ten yards from it. In a few minutes dry wood had been
collected, and seven or eight fires were made round the trap in which
the leopard was a prisoner. Sometimes the leopard would roar and tear
at the side of his cage, but on hearing the Caffres outside he would
become quiet again, and so the night passed. Soon after daybreak many
more Caffres came to us, for the news had spread to the villages round,
and when the sun rose there were more than a hundred Caffres round the
trap. The chief now gave his orders, and the men obeyed him just as
soldiers obey an officer. He directed one Caffre to go to the door of
the trap, and with a long pole push up the door; all the other Caffres
stood in a semicircle round the doorway and about fifty yards from it,
each with an assagy in his hand ready to throw. No sooner was the door
raised a few inches than the leopard rushed at the stick, scratching and
biting at it furiously. The Caffre then retreated, and the leopard
struggled at the small opening and succeeded in getting half out. The
chief then shouted "_Bulala_!" and about forty assagies were thrown at
the leopard, nearly a dozen of which entered its body. In spite of
these wounds the animal struggled out of the doorway and sprang at the
Caffres in front of him. A shower of assagies were again hurled at him,
but he succeeded in reaching one man, whom he seized by the leg with his
claws. In an instant, however, the other men closed in: there wa