A THREE-TAILED STANDARD. 117 



of a three-tailed paclia. We were satisfied with the two 

 panthers' tails which we already possessed ; but lo ! in 

 front of us, and not twenty paces distant, there sprang 

 from the middle of a copse a graceful animal, who with 

 a single bound gained the crest of a birch-tree, and from 

 thence appeared to defy our attack and the assaults of 

 our dogs. But all three of us again discharged our rifles, 

 and our victim, with a frightful yell, fell to the ground 

 dead. 



It proved to be a young and handsome male panther, 

 as lithe and supple as one of those American dandies who 

 strut along the Broadway pavement, and insolently stare 

 out of countenance the beauties of New York. He mea- 

 sured five feet and a half in length. The three-tailed 

 standard was ours, and we had only to settle who of us 

 should be pacha ! 



During this last expedition, night had come on, with- 

 out any transition from day to twilight. We looked for 

 our road, but could not find it. Densely tufted cane- 

 bushes bristled in front of us, as if a malicious enchanter 

 had raised them across our path to obstruct our steps ; 

 and we had no Ariadne's thread for a clue through the 

 labyrinth. 



At length the moon rose. We steered our course as 

 best we could, in a north-easterly direction, so as to gain 

 Grammercy Land House. It was ten o'clock in the 

 evening when our foaming horses deposited us before the 

 verandah of the farm. A good fire, an excellent supper, 

 the kind attentions of charming ladies, and we soon forgot 

 our trials in the midst of a truly patriarchal hospitality. 



The triple spoil of the panthers was displayed before 

 our kindly Yankee friends, three charming sisters, with 



