Then it was in the front, and Compton fired at a momentary gleam of two luminous spots.

It bounded right on the roof, which shook to its weight, then clawed up a tree, detaching fragments of moss, and again leapt to the ground, emitting this time a ferocious roar.

It seemed as if its long patience were exhausted, and that it was lashing itself into a fury, for it was here and there with lightning quickness, striking blows at the fence, and at times seizing a branch in its teeth, but so quick that they could not move their weapons smartly enough to cover the point of attack.
It was nervous work for the watchers.

Every moment they expected to find themselves under the claws and teeth of the maddened beast, with the odds all against them, for in such a small enclosure they would be helpless.

It was bad enough when the brute was emitting his terrible roars and screams, but the spells of silence were worse.
In one of these spells Venning felt for the raw skin of the slaughtered leopard, and threw it out into the darkness.