TIIE COUGAR AND LYNXES. 131 



mingled with the report was the sharp yell of an angry, 

 wounded cat. This was a pleasant but a dangerous pre- 

 dicament for me; and not caring for an encounter, I leap- 

 ed back to the shelter of a rock and fired once more at 

 the limping animal. There was no feline response to this 

 detonation, so I moved forward to see what was the result 

 of my fire. Before I had advanced a few feet I saw the 

 cougar making vain efforts to leap up on the bowlder, and 

 the moment I saw that I concluded it was my prisoner. 

 Taking aim as carefully as I could in the darkness, I fired 

 four shots in rapid succession, and, when the smoke cleared 

 away, no cougar was visible. Not knowing whether it 

 was dead or had escaped, I moved forward cautiously, 

 with rifle cocked and ready for instant use, and when I 

 reached the base of the crag I saw it extended at full 

 length on its side. Lighting a match, I examined it cur- 

 sorily, and found it was dead. Leaving it where it was, 

 I clambered up the chasm to meet my companion and 

 announce to him my good fortune, but he was nowhere 

 visible. I began to call his name, but no response came. 

 Wondering what could have become of him, I commenced 

 groping about, thinking that he might have met with an 

 accident; but after trudging up and down the terraces 

 for half an hour I could find no trace of him. I then be- 

 came really alarmed, and advanced to where the bait was 

 placed, but that was gone. I divined from this that some 

 animal had stolen it, and that he had started in pursuit of 

 the thief; and this reassured me, as he was too good a 

 backwoodsman to get lost, and too experienced a hunter 

 to risk his life unnecessarily. After waiting half an hour, 

 and shouting at intervals, I concluded that he was watch- 

 ing the object of his pursuit, and did not wish to answer 

 my call for fear of spoiling his chances at bagging it. 

 Another half-hour, and still no tidings of him, induced me 

 to make an effort to find him ; and as the moon then ap- 

 peared from beneath a mass of clouds, I decided to track 

 him if possible. When Luna's face was thoroughly clear, 

 I bent low to the ground, and readily detected his foot- 



