Show COST THE LEOPARD HIS LIFE baboons had revenge for the seizure of one of their number though many were sacrificed the leopard likes the meat of certain monkeys but the indulgence ot of hie his taste sometimes costs him dear A rema remarkable lable battle between a leopard and a company ot of baboons seen by a R traveler in africa ii is described in dae dam buch duch fur ur alle I 1 was bitting sitting in the shade of 0 a ra tine vine retting resting from the midday eun bun when a company of baboons came clambering down the opposite wall toward the water ater that trickled through the gully I 1 eat sat still and watched them A o 0 big male led and after satis tying himself that all was sate safe ut a few deep notes reassured by the call the others quickly followed a mother with an ever watchful eye on her two young ones dries brought up the rear suddenly like a streak of lightning a leopard sprang from behind a rock and with one blow of his paw felled the little baboon nearest him but before he could make off with ith his prey the furious mother attacked him the attack had come so quickly that the rest of the company hardly realized what had happened but at the moth er a cry of rage they all at once turned and tell fell upon the robber in a moment the leopard was as sur rounded and almost covered with fur lous baboons the battle waxed hot although numbers of baboons went ent down before the powerful paws of the cat eat their places were immediately filled by others it was not long before the leopard began to tire he could make no noticeable impression upon his assailants and his strength as sapped by their sharp teeth he struggled bravely but in vain slowly he sank out of sight beneath the fiercely chattering foe that be he had despised the baby baboon was youth a companion |