‪“Hooray!” cried the excited Irishman. ‪“I flunked him just off. Now av yez plaze, Misther Frank, will yez jist howld an wan minnit?” Frank could not refuse this request, so he brought the Steam Man to a halt, saying: “Pshaw! You don’t want his skin, Barney. It is of little use.” “Don’t I?” exclaimed the Celt. “Yez kin jist bate I do. I’ll take it home to me friends in Ameriky, an’ tell thim what a foine shot I am.” Barney opened the rear door and leaped out of the cage. He went directly up to the leopard, and was about to lift the creature upon his shoulders, when a thrilling thing occurred. Suddenly, from the same building, four more of the savage animals appeared. They saw Barney, and without further ceremony came for him like a flash. The Irishman saw his predicament, and knew that he was in deadly peril. It required but a moment for him to act. ‪“Whurroo!” he yelled. “I’m a son av a say cook if the woods ain’t full av the divils. Luk out there, yez spotted imps. Be off, I say.” Barney fired at the first leopard, and the shot struck the animal’s shoulder. For a moment it wavered and then tumbled in a heap. But the next moment the three leopards left were upon Barney. The Celt went to the ground like a ten-pin. It began to look as if his fate was surely sealed. With three of the animals upon him he would speedily have been clawed to death. But fortunately for him Barney had valuable allies in the three friends aboard the Steam Man. A startled cry came from Frank’s lips as he saw the leopards appear. He at once snatched up his rifle. ‪“Heavens!” he cried. ‪“Barney will be killed.” Pomp and Tony were no less quick in also coming to the rescue. All three fired. As chance had it all fired at the same leopard and every shot told. The animal pitched forward dead across Barney’s body. The other two leopards tumbled over him, and by the time they had recovered themselves the repeaters had got into working order again. Crack—ack—ack! Another leopard tumbled over. Before the marksmen could again fire the surviving animal with a snarling cry fled and was quickly out of range. Frank descended and rushed to Barney’s side. CHAPTER VIII. POMP’S THRILLING EXPERIENCE. But before the famous inventor could reach him, Barney was upon his feet. “Begorra, that’s something that ivery man can’t say!” he exclaimed, with twinkling eyes. “I went out to get one leopard and was the cause av baggin’ four av thim. Shure, I’ll have wan av thim skins tanned and sind it to the Pope, so I will.” ‪“You are a pretty good decoy for leopards,” laughed young Buckden. “By Jove, Barney, you’re a valuable man.” ‪“Have yez jist discovered that?” retorted the quick-witted Irishman. It required but a short time for Barney and Pomp to take off the leopards’ skins. There was a skin for each of them, and they were carefully stowed away in the wagon.