three in the morning
I fired at a black object twice with no result , for we still heard the beast going on with his dinner . I found later I had fired at a bush , mistaking it for a panther in the darkness . The animal was either too hungry to notice the shot , or had mistaken the sound for thunder . Later on the moon rose , and at half-past three in the morning a third shot took effect , for the animal went off badly wounded . Some time before that a heavy thunderstorm had come on , but , sheltered beneath our rugs , we did not get really wet . We now slept , feeling our work was done . At sunrise the native hunter and I got down and examined the spot .