Itwasonthefourthnightthatthetroublebegan。Asusualtheyhadlitahugefiremadeofthefallenboughsandrottingtreetrunksthatlayaboutinplenty。Therewasnoreasonwhythefireshouldbesolarge，sincetheyhadlittletocookandtheairwashot，buttheymadeitsoforthesamereasonthatJeekieansweredquestions，forthesakeofcheerfulness。Atleastitgavelightinthedarkness，leapingupinredtonguesofflametwentyorthirtyfeethigh，anditsroarandcracklewerewelcomeintheprimevalsilence。
Alanlayuponthecorkmattressintheopen，forheretherewasnoneedtopitchthetent；ifanyrainfellabove，thecanopyofleavesabsorbedit。Hewasamusinghimselfwhilehesmokedhispipewithwatchingthereflectionofthefire-lightagainstapatchofdarknesscausedprobablybysomebushabouttwentyyardsaway，andbypicturinginhisownmindthefaceofBarbara，thatstrong，pleasantEnglishface，asitmightappearonsuchabackground。Suddenlythere，ontheidenticalspothedidseeaface，thoughoneofaverydifferentcharacter。Itwasroundandsmallandhideous，resemblinginitsgeneraloutlinethatofabloatedchild。Atthisdistancehecouldnotdistinguishthefeatures，exceptthelips，whichwerelargeandpendulous，andbetweenthemtheflashofwhiteteeth。
“Lookhere，“hewhisperedtoJeekieinEnglish，andJeekielooked，thenwithoutsayingaword，liftedtheshotgunthatlayathissideandfiredstraightatthebush。Instantlytherearoseasqueakingnoise，suchasmightbemadebyawoundedanimal，andthefourporterssprangupinalarm。
“Sitdown，“saidJeekietothemintheirowntongue，“aleopardwasstalkingusandIfiredtofrightenitaway。Don’tgoneartheplace，asitmaybewoundedandangry，butdragupsomeboughsandmakeafenceroundthefire，forfearofothers。“
Themenwhodreadedleopards，lookingontheseanimals，indeed，withsuperstitiousreverence，obeyedreadilyenough，andastherewasplentyofwoodlyingwithinafewyards，soonconstructeda/boma/