SHOOTING A PANTHER. 99 



wolf, all would not have been silent again so soon, as a 

 wolf could not have overpowered a deer so quickly. 



Now, I had often heard from Americans how the pan- 

 ther darts on his prey, kills it in an instant, and, after 

 eating his fill, buries or covers up the rest for a future 

 meal. I resolved to try and make sure of the panther, 

 and, if possible, to creep up to him unperceived. I did 

 not then know how difficult it was to outwit a panther ; 

 but this time fortune favored me. 



After waiting about half an hour, I thought I might 

 make the attempt, and crept lightly and cautiously to- 

 wards the thicket; the dog, well knowing my object, 

 crept as silently after me. Just as I gained the edge of 

 the thicket, and was looking out for the best place to en- 

 ter it with the least noise, I heard a light rustling. My 

 heart began to beat violently, the bush opened, and my 

 eyes encountered the fierce orbs of the panther. Doubt- 

 less, in the first moment of surprise, he did not know 

 exactly what to do ; but his surprise did not last long : 

 a panther has a bad conscience, and justly supposes a 

 foe in every living being not belonging to his own race ; 

 and, crouching down about twenty paces from me in the 

 yellow grass, he was preparing either to make a spring, 

 or to hide himself, I could not tell which. But I was 

 not idle ; during the time he stooped, my arm had re- 

 covered its steadiness, the rifle cracked, the animal made 

 one spring upwards, and fell dead to the earth. Bears- 

 grease seized him on the instant, and seemed to take 

 exquisite pleasure in shaking the skin of his deadliest 

 foe, and he cast many a longing look behind, when, at 

 my command he followed up the panther's trail. We 



