130 HUNTIKG THE PANTHER. 



the saying that an alligator wouldn t bite a white man 

 were true. 



It was upon coming up from such a position as I 

 have described that I heard a low growl from our dog, a 

 huge old mastiff, whom we had left aboard the boat. 

 Following the direction of his fixed and eager gaze, I 

 saw, as soon as the water had cleared from my eyes, a 

 huge, cat-like animal stealthily moving among the man 

 groves on shore. I remember getting a glimpse of a 

 burning pair of eyes, and then I imitated the ostrich 

 before alluded to, and stuck my head under water and 

 started for the boat. Jim had seen the animal at about 

 the same time, and although I started first for the boat, 

 he had reached it first, being much nearer. 



Snatching my double-barrelled breech-loader, and 

 slipping in a couple of buckshot cartridges, he jumped 

 into his breeches and then jumped ashore, and 

 was far on the trail of panther and dog before I had 

 equipped myself for the race. Putting on pants and 

 moccasins, I took a large bowie knife, the only available 

 weapon, and insanely followed on the trail. It was long 

 and circuitous, but I finally found them Jim and the 

 dog a mile or so from the boat. I knew from the 

 silence of the dog, some time before I reached them, 

 that the panther was treed, and did not need Jim s 

 information to that effect. It was in a small hammock 

 of an acre or so that they had brought him to bay, and 

 after closely reconnoitring we concluded he would be 

 likely to stay till dark, and that it would be best for 

 one of us to return and get some more ammunition and 

 the rest of our clothes. Accordingly, I remained guard 

 ing the hammock until Jim returned with the necessary 

 articles. Taking courage, from a small stock we had 



