1GO A FEMALE VICTIM. 



watching for a favourable opportunity. Three guns were 

 simultaneously discharged, and yet the animal was not 

 touched. 



" Good ! " I cried ; "I see him ; he is clambering up a 

 high branch. Now it is my turn." 



My gun was loaded with six deer-shot ; I fired ! The 

 cat climbed much higher. I had another barrel to dis- 

 charge, and selecting the moment when Master Tom was 

 going to jump on a neighbouring tree, I let go the 

 trigger. I had the satisfaction of killing him " flying," 

 and of seeing him fall from a height of fifty feet, in the 

 presence of all my comrades assembled expressly to ap- 

 plaud my address, into the jaws of our dogs, which ap- 

 peared open for the purpose of receiving it. 



Alas ! my dear readers, this cat was a female cat, 

 much smaller than my great Tom cat number one ; but, 

 by way of compensation, she was more beautiful and of a 

 far more brilliant fur than her congener. 



Our admiration of this last piece of booty was of brief 

 duration, for the sun sunk towards the horizon, and we 

 had to accomplish a five miles' ride to return to our 

 dinner and the charming Creoles, daughters of our host, 

 at whose feet we purposed laying the spoils of our three 

 cats. 



Behold, then, our horses urged to the gallop ; and as 

 soon as we entered the long avenue of acacias leading to 

 the lawn in front of Mr. Potter's villa, a shrill blast of 

 our bugle-horn announced at once our return and our 

 victory. 



The cloth was spread on the table; the covers were 

 set ; and the dinner was ready. We dressed as rapidly 

 as possible, and before long were passing a hearty 



