128 HUNTING TIIE PANTHER. 



swamps and hammocks during the day, and seeks its 

 prey by night. Old hunters say it remains concealed in 

 the large trees, ready to drop upon unwary travellers. 

 Its tracks may be frequently seen in the woods back of 

 Indian river, or interior. I have been told that an 

 animal larger than this, spotted and striped in fact, 

 the regular tiger was seen near New Smyrna, but this 

 is the only related instance, and not likely to prove 

 correct. This animal is more generally known by the 

 name of tiger than any other, and as such is spoken of 

 with dread by the &quot;crackers.&quot; The only panther I 

 ever had a hand in killing was a goodly sized one near 

 Hope Sound. I was camped at St. Sebastian creek, and 

 having with me the prince of boatmen, Jim E., lacked 

 not in either fish or game. But duck and fish were not 

 enough to satisfy, even in the abundance provided there 

 by a lavish nature, and I cast about for some new 

 diversion. 



It was at this period that Jim suggested we should 

 go down the river and secure the skeleton of a manatee 

 we had discovered a month previous. It was just the 

 thing, and we were soon sailing down river with a fair 

 wind. It was about fifty miles, and we camped that 

 night a dozen miles from our destination. When we 

 awoke next morning we discovered that our whole stock 

 of pork was missing. Further search revealed the 

 tracks of a panther, and, connecting the circumstances, 

 we were at no loss to account for the absence of the 

 pork. The most aggravating circumstance was, that 

 the theft had been committed while we had a dog in the 

 camp, whose sole purpose was to guard our property. It 

 was useless to follow up the trail, as it was soon lost, and 

 wo left cam}) and entered the Narrows, beneath the 



