290 SPOET IN NORTH AMERICA. 



and sucked the life-blood of the buffalo, who pre- 

 sently rolled over upon its side, giving no signs 

 of life. 



This was the moment to fire, and without wait- 

 ing for any place of concealment, I aimed and 

 palled the trigger. Through the smoke I could 

 see the panther give a tremendous bound, and 

 then fall in the agonies of death. Mr. Mead 

 came forward, and gave it the coup de grace. 



It was the finest of the kind I had ever shot, 

 and we lost no time in despoiling it of its spotted 

 robe. I still possess this beautiful skin, and it 

 is one of my handsomest trophies. As for the 

 buffalo, he was as dead as a stone. The panther 

 had surprised him by leaping upon him from a 

 tree, and his jugular was divided. 



On arriving at St. Louis we took leave of our 

 friends, and Messrs. Delmot and Simonton and 

 myself started up the Ohio, to reach the State of 

 New York by way of the Lakes and the Falls of 

 Niagara. We all three embarked on board the 

 steamer Jefferson, a kind of floating mansion, 

 crammed with people from the keel to her deck. 

 We started in the evening, and with all the con- 

 fusion Avhich attends the departure of a steamer 

 in America. I had confided all my baggage to the 

 care of the negroes on board, and among the rest 

 Avere the two packets, one filled with the furs of the 

 Sioux chief, and the other with Otami's costume. 



