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Sport and Work on the Nepaul Frontier - Twelve Years Sporting Reminiscences of an Indigo Planter by James Inglis
page 130 of 347 (37%)
only wound him as he is approaching, he will almost to a certainty make
straight at you, but if you shoot him as he is going past, he will,
maddened by pain and anger, go straight forward, and you escape his
charge. He is more courageous than a tiger, and a very dangerous
customer at close quarters. Up in one of the forests in Oudh, a friend
of mine was out one day after leopard, with a companion who belonged to
the forest department. My friend's companion fired at a leopard as it
was approaching him, and wounded it severely. Nothing daunted, and
recognising whence its hurt had come, it charged directly down on the
concealed sportsman, and before he could half realise the position,
sprang on him, caught his left arm in its teeth, and began mauling him
with its claws. His presence of mind did not desert him; noticing close
by the stump of a sal tree, that had been eaten by white ants till the
harder parts of the wood alone remained, standing up hard and sharp
like so many spikes of steel; and knowing that the leopard was already
badly wounded, and in all probability struggling for his life, he
managed to drag the struggling animal up to the stump; jammed his left
arm yet further into the open mouth of the wounded beast, and being a
strong man, by pure physical force dashed the leopard's brains out on
the jagged edges of the stump. It was a splendid instance of presence
of mind. He was horribly mauled of course; in fact I believe he lost
his arm, but he saved his life. It shows the danger of only wounding a
leopard, especially if he is coming towards you; always wait till he
has passed your station, if it is practicable. If you _must_ shoot,
take what care you can that the shot be a sure one.

In some of the hill stations, and indeed in the villages on the plains,
it is very common for a leopard to make his appearance in the house or
verandah of an evening.

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