She and Jack were facing the point toward which his back was turned.
Seeing that it was something behind him that had startled both, the doctor turned his head.

As if to emphasize the words just spoken, he saw an immense spotted leopard, motionless in the trail not more than fifty feet away.

Evidently he was trotting to the stream, when he caught sight of the three persons, stopped short, raised his head and stared wonderingly at them.
The leopard shares the reputation of the tiger for deadly ferocity and daring.

When more than 20,000 persons are killed in India every year by wild animals and serpents, it will be found that the leopard is one of the most active among these factors of death, and holds his own well up with the tiger.
Like the venomous serpent, the leopard had a terrible beauty all his own.

As he stood with head raised, eyes glaring, mouth slightly parted and his long tail lashing his sides with a force that made the thumping against his glossy ribs plainly audible, his pose was perfect.