We made a most delightful camp at the edge of great trees by the stream.  The water flowed at the bottom of a little ravine, precipitous in most places, but with gently sloping banks at the spot we had chosen.  It flowed rapidly over clean gravel, with a hurrying, tinkling sound.  A broad gravel beach was spread on the hither side of it, like a spacious secret room in the jungle.  Here too was a clear little slope on which to sit, with the thicket all about, the clean, swift little stream below, the high forest arches above, and the inquisitive smaller creatures hovering near.  Others had been here before us, the wild things, taking advantage of the easy descent to drinking water—­eland, buffalo, leopard, and small bucks.  The air was almost cloyingly sweet with a perfume like sage-brush honey.

Our first task was to set our boys to work clearing a space; the grass was so high and rank that mere trampling had little effect on it.  The Baganda, Sabakaki, we had been compelled to leave with the ox team.  So our twenty-seven had become twenty-six.

Next morning C. and I started out very early with one gunbearer.  The direction of the wind compelled us to a two hours’ walk before we could begin to hunt.  The high grass was soaked with a very heavy dew, and shortly we were as wet as though we had fallen into the river.  A number of hornbills and parrots followed us for some distance, but soon left us in peace.  We saw the Roberts’ gazelle and some hartebeeste.

When we had gained a point of vantage, we turned back and began to work slowly along the base of the mountains.  We kept on a general level a hundred feet or so up their slope, just high enough to give us a point of overlook for anything that might stir either in the flat plateau foothills or the plains.  We also kept a sharp lookout for signs.

We had proceeded in this manner for an hour when in an opening between two bushes below us, and perhaps five hundred yards away, we saw a leopard standing like a statue, head up, a most beautiful spectacle.  While we watched her through the glasses, she suddenly dropped flat out of sight.  The cause we discovered to be three hartebeeste strolling sociably along, stopping occasionally to snatch a mouthful, but headed always in the direction of the bushes behind which lay the great cat.  Much interested, we watched them.  They disappeared behind the screen.  A sudden flash marked the leopard’s spring.  Two badly demoralized hartebeeste stamped out into the open and away; two only.  The kill had been made.

We had only the one rifle with us, for we were supposed to be out after kudu only, and were travelling as light as possible.  No doubt the Springfield would kill a leopard, if the bullet landed in the right place.  We discussed the matter.  It ended, of course, in our sneaking down there; I with the Springfield, and C. with his knife unsheathed.  Our precautions and trepidations were wasted.  The leopard had carried the hartebeeste bodily some distance, had thrust it under a bush, and had departed.  C. surmised it would return towards evening.