THE TWO BROTHERS. 121 



but the other had been dangerously wounded by the 

 panther. 



At this moment the negro Jupiter, who had returned 

 to the cleft of the grotto, naively exclaimed : 



" Oh, Massa Pendleton, the eyes of this panther shine 

 like a couple of new dollars ! Yah, yah, yah ! " 



At their master's orders the negroes then freed the 

 mouth of the grotto from all the wood and leaves obstruct- 

 ing it, and Mr. Rudolph in his turn penetrated into the 

 little orifice. 



At this moment a deep silence prevailed ; the hounds 

 themselves seemed to understand that they must not bark 

 or move. In about two minutes our adventurous ex- 

 plorer returned to us : he had seen two beasts instead of 

 one. The first was crouching in the bottom of the cavern : 

 the second stood on a ledge of rock, which projected on 

 the left hand side. 



My three hosts decided that Mr. Rudolph should enter 

 first, his carbine in his hand, while his brother Harry 

 followed with a second weapon, in case the first discharge 

 did not kill the first panther. Mr. Charles Pendleton 

 and myself were to hold ourselves on the alert, with rifles 

 cocked ; while the negroes who had coupled the blood- 

 hounds held them in leash. 



My heart throbbed violently with the anxiety of the 

 drama which was on the point of being enacted in the 

 entrails of the earth ! Suddenly we heard a deafening 

 explosion ; it seemed as if the earth trembled under our 

 feet, or as if a mine had been fired close to our ears. 



The two Pendletons soon reappeared ; one carrying his 

 brother's carbine, and the other dragging by the tail an. 

 enormous animal upwards of five feet in length. 



