THE PUMA, OR AMERICAN LION. 131 



altered, and the squatter, urging me to push on, told 

 me that the beast was treed, by which he meant that 

 it had got upon some low branch of a large tree, to 

 rest for a few moments, and that should we not suc- 

 ceed in shooting him when thus situated, we might 

 expect a long chase of it. As we approached the 

 spot, we all by degrees united into a body ; but on 

 seeing the dogs at the foot of a large tree, separated 

 again, and gallopped off to surround it. 



" Each hunter now moved with caution, holding 

 his gun ready, and allowing the bridle to dangle on 

 the neck of his horse, as it advanced slowly towards 

 the dogs. A shot from one of the party was heard, 

 on which the cougar was seen to leap to the ground, 

 and bound off with such velocity, as to shew that he 

 was very unwilling to stand our fire longer. The 

 dogs set off in pursuit with great eagerness, and a 

 deafening cry. The hunter who had fired came up, 

 and said that his ball had hit the monster, and had 

 probably broken one of his fore-legs, near the shoul- 

 der, the only place at which he could aim. A slight 

 trail of blood was discovered on the ground ; but the 

 curs proceeded at such a rate, that we merely no- 

 ticed this, and put spurs to our horses, which gal- 

 lopped on towards the centre of the swamp. One 

 bayou was crossed, then another still larger and 

 more muddy ; but the dogs were brushing forward, 

 and, as the horses began to pant at a furious rate, we 

 judged it expedient to leave them, and advance on 

 foot. These determined hunters knew that the cou- 



