Manjul finds a calf has been killed and people are saying that there is a leopard on the loose. While walking through the forest Manjul is cornered by the leopard. However, a mysterious man, Carpet Sahib, rescues her in the nick of time. In the aftermath of the incident, Manjul fears for the leopard.

Rohan arrives in Nainital for his summer holidays and the two of them discover that the cutting down of trees in the forest is driving the leopard into conflict with the villagers. Someone poisons the leopard’s kill and leaves it lying around, knowing that the big cat will eat it. The leopard does. The result is that Carpet Sahib and the two children have to come to the rescue of the big cat…with rather amazing results!

This is the second book in the Jim Corbett series.

‘One by one the posts flashed past as the train picked up speed, and between them he saw the station sign again. RUDRAPRAYAG and again RUDRAPRAYAG. Then there was utter darkness followed by a growl. Something thudded against the train window and the glass shattered.’ ‘If anyone had told Manjul that she would be sitting in a car next to a leopard she would have called them a liar. But there was a leopard in the car with her though the big cat had slithered over the seat to the back and spread himself out there like a dhurry.’