During the Mityoche scare, a strong watch was put on. Our cook boy was one night making a circuit round our house when he met a foeman who is a great terror to watchmen here—viz., a leopard. The lad acted with admirable presence of mind. He felt that if he tried to get inside the house, the leopard would have him before the door could be opened; so he ran with all his might to his own abode which was about 100 yards off. His wife and family were sleeping in our house, but he did not resume his watching that night! Such wild animals were still about us. One night a lion and a hyæna had a tough fight beside the Station, and the hyæna was found dead next morning. Sometimes a leopard would enter a fowl-house and kill scores of fowls, although he could devour only a few of them. Leopards seem to kill for the purpose of gratifying their blood-thirsty propensity. They do not come back to eat their victims; at least when a strong trap was set in expectation of their return, it was never disturbed. Near the Mission seldom was any wild animal seen during the day; but on the way to Zomba lions were occasionally observed. As a rule, these animals are cowardly, and run off at a tremendous speed. On one occasion, however, a traveller came upon a lioness with cubs. It must have been a moment of terrible suspense. A few days before, we had been talking on the subject, and discussing what would be the best plan in such an emergency. We had agreed that the tones of the human voice might act as a talisman! The gentleman accordingly, as he retreated with his eyes fixed on the lioness, began to talk to an imaginary Johnnie—the name which he gave to one of his native lads. (Johnnie, it is unnecessary to say, was several hundred yards off and had gone up a tree.) When he reached a bend of the path where he got out of the animal’s sight, he turned round and ran as fast as Johnnie had done! One day an elephant gave chase to a party of Missionaries who were on the way to Blantyre. Fortunately they threw down an umbrella in their hurry, and when the great animal came upon this, his fancy was so taken by it that he did not pursue its owners any farther.