132 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



steps on the grass and leaves, and by their length apart I 

 knew he was running. As cats in flight generally keep 

 a direct course, I concluded to follow a straight line; so 

 I tore through the forest at a headlong pace, and called 

 every now and then. When I had proceeded a mile or 

 more I heard a weak cry, and, advancing toward it, found 

 my friend lying in some brier-bushes, face upward, and a 

 dead cougar not ten feet from him. Lifting him up, I 

 asked what ailed him, and in feeble tones he told me that 

 the animal had attacked and wounded him severely, if not 

 fatally. 



When placed on his feet, he found he could walk; so, 

 with my aid, he tottered slowly home, but he was so weak 

 that he could not carry his gun. After walking a seem- 

 ingly interminable distance, we reached his house, and on 

 looking at him by the light of the lamp he presented so 

 ghastly an appearance that his wife screamed with fright. 

 One side of his face was cut as cleanly and deeply as if 

 it were done with a knife; his chest and left arm were 

 torn sadly, and he had a heavy scar on the right thigh. 

 After dressing his wounds, he was put to bed, and the 

 next morning he was strong enough to be able to tell 

 how he met with his accident. According to his state- 

 ment, it was, that when he heard the scream of the cougar 

 in the chasm he directed all his attention that way, think- 

 ing that if the animal passed me he could get a shot at 

 it, or, if I needed assistance, that he would come to my aid. 



When I ceased firing he was about to descend to see 

 what luck I had ; but, before doing so, he took a glance 

 in the direction of his bait, and saw an animal running 

 away with it. He followed in hot pursuit, and, on seeing 

 it enter a clump of hazel -bushes, fired, without consider- 

 ing for a moment his chances of being successful in hit- 

 ting it. He aimed better than could be expected under 

 the circumstances, and struck it in the ribs; but the 

 wound was only severe enough to make it angry, so it 

 turned upon him at once. He delivered his second barrel 

 hurriedly as it approached him ; but he supposed he miss- 



