The rage of the leopard was frightful. He seemed beside himself. He
leaped and rushed hither and thither, as he saw Timokles climbing
higher.
The boy shook with exhaustion. His right arm bled from the wounds of
the leopard's claws. He was alarmed lest the old palm branch should
break or should loosen from the wall. If he once fell back into the
leopard's jaws, there would be a swift end to this skirmishing.
Timokles looked down at the eager eyes. Then he scanned the palm
branch narrowly. It did not hang parallel with the wall, but stood
out a little from it, and Timokles thought that the branch was
partly broken, up next the roof. He hardly dared climb much higher
for fear of breaking it entirely off. So he lay along the branch,
clasping it with his arms, and shut his eyes. He heard the leopard
walk impatiently around, stop, utter an angry cry, walk restlessly
again, spring unavailingly into the air, drop heavily to the floor.
At last Timokles opened his eyes. A yellow light, turning into
darkness, seemed to fill the space before him. Alarmed, he strove to
overcome this faintness. He knew his arm had been bleeding a little,
but he had not before this feared unconsciousness. Now he began to
feel that he must reach the roof. His faintness might prevent him
from clinging to the palm branch much longer.
With Timokles' first motion the leopard was alert again.
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