WATCHFIKE AND WOUNDS. 333 



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mine ; and having our faithful weapons once more in 

 our hands, we stepped forward again still slowly and 

 silently, but with lighter hearts. " There ! " suddenly 

 called out C., holding his toreh aloft, and staring 

 before him ; it was the first word spoken since we re- 

 entered the cave. The panther lay stretched on the 

 ground ; no longer dangerous, for the last convulsions 

 were over. We skinned him and cut him up ; all the 

 bulls had taken effect, and both our knives had pierced 

 his body, so that it was only in his death-struggle that 

 he sprang upon us. We took the skin, although it 

 almost looked like a sieve, and returned to our fire. 



It was night by the time we came out of the cave, 

 and, with hungry stomachs, lay all four by the fire ; 

 for neither we nor the dogs had any fancy to eat the 

 panther. Conwell suffered very much from hi.s wound, 

 but towards morning he fell into a tolerably quiet 

 sleep. "We moved off with the first gleam of day to 

 the place when; I had hung up the buck, breakfasted 

 there, and .started for fresh game. 



Meantime it had become warmer. The snow had 

 disappeared, but all the game seemed to have gone on 

 their travels ; for although we saw signs enough, 

 not a .shot could we get. In the night we were 

 awakened by a thin cold rain, and having no mind to 

 get wet through, we jumped up, cut poles with our 

 heavy knives, and spreading my blanket, which was 

 the largest, over them, and laying ourselves on the 

 other, underneath it, after making up the lire afresh, 

 that the rain might not put it on!, we were i-oon last 

 asleep. 



Next morning brought fresh troubles, but no reward. 



