THE FLORIDA PANTHER. 47 



places it was necessary to cut the thorn vines at almost every step. 

 Slowly pushing my way in, listening to the dogs, especially to the 

 shrill, high piping of Doc, who uttered almost a continuous howl 

 whenever the panther moved, I approached within twelve or fifteen 

 yards of where the animal was concealed. 



Stepping cautiously over the logs and peering about me at every 

 possible place where I thought she might be, I located her pretty 

 definitely by the actions of the hounds which were now close to 

 me, moving about from place to place, but all gazing in the direction 

 of a thick clump of ferns and bushes surrounding an immense fallen 

 cypress. Cautiously moving to one side, I saw the panther crouch- 

 ing beside and partly under the fallen tree. She was not over 

 twenty feet distant, and as she turned her snarling face towards me 

 she presented one of the ugliest pictures I have ever seen. Her 

 ears were drawn tightly back and she exposed a splendid set of 

 teeth. A very pungent, musty odor was perceptible. As she 

 turned towards me all the dogs sprang at her at once. Even gentle 

 little Doc threw himself bravely into the fray, and crippled Cleve 

 jumped at her as gamely as ever. She turned on them with a 

 quickness that was astonishing, uttering a snarling roar while 

 biting and clawing at them savagely ; but just then I fired, once, 

 twice,, three times, as fast as I could work the lever, and the great 

 cat lay kicking and aimlessly biting, as the dogs worried her and 

 fastened their teeth in her tough hide, while I cheered them on, and 

 praised them, and told them what good dogs they were. Poor 

 Cleve laid himself down close to the panther and commenced licking 

 his foreleg, in which the bone was badly crushed. Bruce showed 

 a long cut on his flank, and little Doc was scratched about the neck ; 

 luckily, none of the wounds were serious, although Cleve was laid 

 up for some time. This was Doc's first panther and he was beside 

 himself with joy and excitement. He would rush at the . dead 

 animal, and bite her, and bark at the same time, and then come 

 running to me, wagging his tail and looking up into my eyes, as if 

 to say, " Did you see me bite her ? I was a little afraid at first, 

 she was so big and ugly, but when I saw her turn towards you I 



