Our eyes met; I confess it, my heart was very
small within me. I had my rifle, to be sure, but the least movement to
poise it would have been the signal for a spring from the animal. At
last, still crouching, it crept back, augmenting the distance to about
thirty feet. Then it made a circle round me, never for a moment taking
its eyes off my face, for the cub was still playing at my feet. I have
no doubt that if the little animal had been betwixt me and the mother,
she would have snatched it and run away with it. As it was, I felt very,
very queer; take to my heels I could not, and the panther would not
leave her cub behind; on the contrary, she continued making a circle
round me, I turning with her, and with my rifle pointed towards her.
As we both turned, with eyes straining at each other, inch by inch I
slowly raised my rifle, till the butt reached my shoulder; I caught the
sight and held my breath. The cub, in jumping, hurt itself, and mewed;
the mother answered by an angry growl, and just as she was about to
spring, I fired; she stumbled backwards, and died without a struggle. My
ball, having entered under the left eye, had passed through the skull,
carrying with it a part of the brain.
It was a terrific animal; had I missed it, a single blow from her paw
would have crushed me to atoms.
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