ANGLING FOR BASS. 119 



clenched him. Seeing at once that the dog was under- 

 most, and there was no two ways ahout a chance of 

 choking off, or let up about her, I just out jack-knife, 

 and with one slash, prehaps I didn't cut the panther's 

 throat deep enough for her to breathe the rest of her 

 life without nostrils ! I did feel mighty savagerous, and 

 big as she was, I laid hold of her hide by the back, with 

 an alligator grip, and slung her against the nearest tree 

 hard enough to make every bone in her flash fire. 

 "There," says I, "you infernal varmint, root and 

 branch, you are what I call used up." 



But I turned around to look for my dog, and and 

 tears gushed smack into my eyes, as I see the poor affec- 

 tionate cretur, all of a gore of blood, half raised on his 

 fore-legs, trying to drag his mangled body towards me ; 

 down he dropped. I ran up to him, whistled loud, and 

 gave him a friendly shake of the paws (for I loved my 

 dog !) But he was too far gone ; he had just strength 

 enough to wag his tail feebly, fixed his closing eyes upon 

 me wishfully, then gave a gasp or two, and all was 

 over. James H. Hackett. 



ANGLING FOR BASS.* 



THE best, and one of the most universal fish of the 

 Mississippi, is the black bass. They vary from one to 

 seven pounds in weight, are taken with a fly, the min 



* From Lanman'a "Adventures in the Wilda of the United States." 



