WE BUILD A LEOPARD TRAP--A NIGHT ON THE WATCH--THE BEAST APPEARS AT
LAST--CAUGHT IN THE TRAP AND SOON DESPATCHED--HER MATE KILLED THE
FOLLOWING NIGHT--EXCITEMENT OF ANDEKKO AND NDOVA
EARLY the next morning the men went into the forest to cut poles, and
after we had a sufficient number we built a trap to catch the leopard.
We constructed the trap in the following manner according to the plan
of Shinshooko, who had the reputation of great skill and ingenuity in
making all sorts of traps.
We built with the poles a long narrow funnel-like alley, which
became gradually smaller and smaller towards the end, so that it was
impossible for the leopard to go entirely through. At the entrance
Shinshooko constructed a trap-door which was to fall after the leopard
was fairly in. The end of this funnel-like structure communicated with
the goat-house, which we surrounded with a double row of poles, so that
the leopard could not get through. The roof was made entirely of poles
strongly fastened together. The structure was about twenty feet long.
I said to Rogala, Shinshooko, and Alapai: "Tonight I shall not sleep,
but will watch for leopards near the goat-house. Perhaps some of them
will come when they scent the goats; so do not be afraid if you hear
the detonation of a gun. I want all the dogs to be shut up indoors."
When evening came, I took a nap, for I knew that it was the habit of
the leopards not to prowl before midnight, unless famished.
Towards eleven o'clock I awoke, and then made ready for the leopards.
I took up a position opposite the goat-house under the veranda of a
little house, where I was partly hidden from view. I surrounded myself
with branches of trees I had gathered during the day. There I waited.
The moon, that was on the wane, rose and threw a dim light all around.
It was an ideal night for lying in wait for a leopard.
One o'clock came and no leopard had made his appearance. Time went
on slowly. Two o'clock, no leopard. I began to think that they would
not call, when suddenly the goats began to bleat. They had scented
the approach of a beast of prey and become terrified. Suddenly I saw
from behind one of the houses and among three or four plantain trees
something moving. It was the leopard. He was coming. His eyes shone as
if they were burning coals. Then slowly he advanced towards the trap.
I did not wonder that Rogala had admonished me to make no noise. The
leopard was slowly crawling near, his belly almost touching the ground.
I watched him carefully to see what he was going to do. His long tail
beat his flanks. He sniffed at the goat, and finding that he could not
reach the frightened creature, he went round the trap. I watched with
breathless attention.
Then he came to the opening, and entered. Soon after I heard the
trap-door close behind him. That did not disturb him, for all he
thought of was the goat. He went on until he got so jammed in that
he could not advance further. Then he became excited as he tried to
extricate himself, and roared with anger. He could not turn back, and I
fired and killed him.
In an instant Rogala, Shinshooko, and Alapai were out of their cabins,
guns in hand, running towards the goat-house. We lighted torches
to frighten other leopards, and came out with them. The men gave a
terrific war-cry, and shouted: "Leopard, you will not eat more of our
goats!" In a short time everybody was around the leopard, looking at
him.
I opened his mouth and looked at his terrible-looking canines. "These
four canines," I said, "I will send to Rotembo. I hope we shall kill
leopards enough to have canines for a big necklace for him."
[Illustration: "_The leopard was slowly crawling near._"]
"Yes," they all shouted, "let us kill all the leopards in the country."
Then all the people danced around the leopard, singing at the same
time: "You wicked leopard, your days are over, you will not make any
one now fear you. The antelopes and gazelles of the forest would be
glad if they knew that you have been killed by the great Oguizi."
The dance lasted until daylight, when we skinned the beast. "Let us
make a belt of his skin for Chief Rotembo," I said; and we accordingly
did so. The tail I gave to Rogala. We divided the liver into several
parts.
Later in the day Rogala, Shinshooko, and I went into the forest with
Andekko in search of the lair of the leopard, which was a female,
hoping to take the young ones. But we were not successful, and were
obliged finally to return without accomplishing our object.
"When night comes," I said to my hunters, "I will lie in wait for the
male leopard; perhaps he will come here in search of his mate."
To this the man replied: "Yes, a male leopard is more likely to come
and seek for his mate than a female is."
That night as I was watching I suddenly saw a dark spot moving not
far from where I stood. Suddenly I saw the eyes of a leopard looking
like burning coals. He had come to look for his mate. But he had not
advanced far towards the houses when I fired and killed him.
Andekko, who had been fastened inside Rogala's house, was let loose and
came bounding towards us. He had heard the sound of the gun, and knew
that something was up. At the sight of the dead leopard his hair stood
straight up, and then before we knew it he was on the body of the beast
with his teeth fastened in its throat.
In the morning I said to Rogala, "Bring Ndova to look at the leopard."
He went after the monkey and soon came back with Ndova in his arms.
At the sight of the leopard Ndova sprang from Rogala's arms, and in
an instant was up a young tree, the hair all over his body standing
upright. He glared at the dead leopard, uttering at the same time
sounds of rage. We could not make him come down from the tree until we
had taken away the leopard from the place. Then he descended and hid
away in the house of Rogala.