EXCITING SCENE AT A RACECOURSE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3826, 20 October 1883, Page 4

EXCITING SCENE AT A RACECOURSE.

An Umballa corespondent of tho Civil and Military Gazette Avritcs :—"Talking about the racecourse, a somewhat sensational event occurred there on the Ist inst. Two natives working iv the fields saAV a leopard passing them, and, seizing a lithi each, they sprang up and followed him. The leopard took refuge in an empty cattlo-yard about 200 yards off the racecourse, Avhere ho was shortly after assailed by a soldier in departmental employ (Public AVorks Department, I believe), avlio lived close by. The man procured his carbine and some cartridges, and, creeping up to a small Avail crossing the yard, looked over, and had a shot at tho leopard, missing him. The leopard Avas game, and Avent for his man at once, flying tho Avail (under which the soldier opportunely ducked) and landing right on one of the natives standing by. However, his meal was not to his taste, and after mauling him awhile he charged a go-doAvn with open chessboard Avails, and carrying away about a rood of it got inside. The soldier then went round to tho other side, and peeping in through a somcAvhat larger hole than the squares, spied the leopard iv a corner. But tho game of 'peep,' fascinating as it is la tho infant Avhen performed from behind doors and boxes, has its drawbacks at times. It had in this case, for the leopard Avas spry, and at first ' peep' nearly snatched his opponent's noso off. However, to make a long story short, the carbine subsequently did its work, the third shot going right through tho heart, and killed the leopard at once. He was a fino animal, in splendid condition, measuring Gft 11 in from nose tip to tail end."