The dense jungles of Bengal was the place of the leopard's resort, and
the havoc which it committed among the cattle was prodigious. It was
dreaded, far and near, on this account, by the natives, and they
scrupulously avoided their spotted enemy, knowing well that when his
appetite was whetted with hunger, he was not over scrupulous whether his
victims were beasts or men. On one occasion, the monster made a dash
upon a herd of beeves, and succeeded in carrying off a large ox; and
loud was the lament of the poor Hindoos that one of the sacred herd had
thus unceremoniously been assailed and slaughtered before their eyes. A
party of the Bengal native infantry, consisting of an officer and five
others, having been informed of the circumstance, followed in the
direction of the leopard's den determined, if possible, to punish him
for this and the many other depredations he had committed. Having come
to an intervening ravine, they were about to cross it, when they saw the
object of their search on the opposite side. There he was, lying in his
lair, heedless of danger, and luxuriously feasting on the carcass of his
captive. It was the monster's last meal, however. The party approached
with stealthy steps, as near as they could without crossing the defile.
"Take your aim! fire!" cried the captain, in Hindostanee, we suppose.
They did so, and four balls pierced the leopard, three in the neck and
one in a more dangerous place, through the brain. Startled by this
unpleasant salute, the animal rose, gazed with glaring eyes on its
enemies, at the same time pawing the earth in its pain fury.
The sepoys were astonished that he did not roll lifeless at their feet;
but, instead of this, before they had time to reload, the creature,
after uttering a terrific cry, sprang across the ravine and seized one
of its assailants. It must have been, in some degree, weakened by its
wounds; but its strength was yet great, for the man seemed to have no
power of resistance to its attack. The leopard, having a hold of the
sepoy in its mouth, darted off in the direction of a jungle close at
hand, the other soldiers following up as fast as they could, but not
daring to fire, lest they should injure their luckless comrade Sometimes
they lost sight of the leopard and its bleeding burden; but the blood
marks on the grass or on the sand enabled them to regain the trail, and
to carry on the pursuit. The animal at length came to a small river; it
hesitated for a little on the brink, and then leaped in, still
tenaciously retaining its prey. The stoppage thus occasioned enabled the
pursuers to gain ground, and, just after the leopard had emerged from
the river, and was shaking its skin free from the watery drops, one of
the party seized the auspicious moment, and fired. The beast dropped its
prey at once, howled furiously, and then fell dead. To their great
surprise and joy, the soldiers found that their comrade was still in
life, though he had fainted from fear and from weakness occasioned by
the loss of blood. He gradually recovered, and, under the stimulating
influence of a cup of brandy, was able to proceed home with his
comrades. It was many weeks, however, before he was fit for service, and
he will retain till his dying day the dental marks received from the
leopard, by way of token what it would like to have done with him had
there been none but themselves two on the desert wide.
The soldiers returned, some time after, and skinned the animal, carrying
home its spotted covering for a trophy; and now, here it is, with the
marks of the musket-balls upon it, remembrances of the strange story we
have now recounted.