86 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



on each side of her, one by the ear, and the other 

 on the throat. I had received my second gun 

 from Chineah the moment my first was dis- 

 charged, but I was afraid to fire lest I should 

 injure my dogs, and was waiting for a fairer 

 chance, when suddenly, with a scream of rage, 

 the male panther appeared, and made a leap which 

 would have very summarily disposed of poor Ponto, 

 if I had not luckily stopped him in mid-career by 

 almost simultaneously giving him the contents of 

 both barrels, killing him at once. The game 

 was now becoming hot, for a violent struggle was 

 still going on between my dogs and the wounded 

 female, whose strength was so great, notwithstand- 

 ing one of her fore arms was shattered and useless, 

 that she twice managed to shake off the Poligars, 

 although Ponto still kept his hold ; and fearing 

 lest my favourite might get a mauling before I 

 should have time to reload, I drew my hunting- 

 knife, and, watching my opportunity, plunged it 

 up to the hilt behind her shoulder-blade, when she 

 reared up, gave a hollow groan, and dropped dead 

 on her side. The Poligars, when they saw their 



