II THE FATHER OF GAME 47 



crouching form does he pass over fallen trees and 

 ragged ledges, or through dense swamps and tan- 

 gled thickets, till, if unobserved, within thirty or 

 forty feet of his intended victim. If he can now 

 attain a slight elevation and a firm footing, he 

 springs directly upon his prey, but if upon level 

 ground makes one or two preliminary leaps before 

 striking it. The noise thus made frightens the 

 deer, who makes a sudden and desperate effort to 

 escape. But, if lying down, several seconds are 

 necessary to get under full headway, and the pan- 

 ther follows so rapidly, in a series of successive 

 leaps, that it often succeeds in alighting on the 

 back of its unhappy quarry. Its long claws are 

 planted deep into the quivering flesh, and its sharp 

 teeth make quick work with the ill-fated sufferer. 

 If, however, the deer sees him in season, and can 

 get a good footing for a sudden move, it commonly 

 escapes, and the panther rarely follows it more 

 than a few rods, for as soon as he finds that the 

 deer is gaining on him he at once gives up the 

 chase. In fact, a panther rarely secures more 

 than one out of every four or five deer upon which 

 he attempts to spring. Then, too, it not infre- 

 quently happens that he strikes a deer when it is 

 under such headway that it escapes ; and when 

 panthers were more plenty here than they now 

 are, it was no uncommon thing to shoot a deer 

 bearing deep scars upon its flanks scars that 

 were clearly made by the claws, of this powerful 



