188 pioneer life; ok, 



rapidly as to defy pursuit, but it can maintain this 

 movement but a short time, soon becoming fatigued 

 and ascending a tree. When a panther is about to 

 attack its prey, it creeps noiselessly along until within 

 a few yards of it, when crouching flat, it pauses for 

 a moment, with its eyes dilated, its tail quivering, 

 and every muscle strained to its utmost tension, and 

 then, with a sudden spring, it fastens upon its vic- 

 tim, which it soon dispatches with its teeth and long 

 powerful claws. From this peculiar manner of 

 attack, it is sometimes enabled to conquer even an 

 elk, and I have twice found elk, which had been 

 killed by panthers ; one of them so recently that it 

 was yet warm, and I killed the panther within a 

 short distance. I have attacked a panther with 

 eight dogs, for which it proved more than a match, 

 driving them all from the field. Notwithstanding 

 its ferocity and strength, it is little feared by hunters, 

 and many of the marvelous tales of its attacks upon 

 men are undoubtedly without foundation. It may 

 be that in some instances they have been driven by 

 ii unger to attack the human species, but with that 

 instinctive consciousness of man's superiority which 

 every animal exhibits, they will generally avoid him 

 if possible. I have often watched by the carcases 

 of deer, which had been killed and partly devoured 

 by panthers, but none ever returned for the remain- 

 der while I was near. They are less numerous than 

 ~ny other animal ranging tbe same forests, and are 

 solitary in their habits, never herding together like 

 wolves and many other animals. 



