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I resisted the intense urge to run or scream or duck down into a ball and stayed still until it had taken two more leaps to get to where I stood, then I lunged forward and to my left. At the same time, Anjou had dropped our water bags and reached for his spear and rushed forward. I landed hard between a fallen tree and a large rock, and the jolt of pain to my wrists caused me to cry out. I turned to see that Anjou had dug the back end of the spear into the ground and held it in place so that the cat landed on it. It let out a deafening roar and fell to one side with the spear sticking out of its chest, writhing in pain and roaring again and again. Anjou was on him instantly, and he sliced its throat from ear to ear with his dagger. Blood burst from the cat’s throat and splashed across
