FIGHT WITH A WOLF. 77 



and he lay quivering on the leaves. Being a little 

 curious to know whether he was not somewhat agi- 

 tated in finding himself in sueh close proximity to a 

 panther all ready for the fatal leap, I asked him how 

 he felt when he saw the animal crouching so near. 

 *' I felt," said he coolly, " as if I should kill him." I 

 need not tell you that / felt a little foolish at the 

 answer, and concluded not to tell him that I expected 

 he would say that his heart suddenly stopped beating, 

 and the woods reeled around him ; for the perfect sim- 

 plicity of the reply took me all aback — ^yet it was 

 rather an odd feeling to be uppermost in a man's 

 mind just at that moment — it was, however, per- 

 fectly characteristic of Cheney. 



His fight with a wolf was a still more serious 

 affair. As he came upon the animal, ravenous with 

 hunger, and floundering through the snow, he raised 

 his rifle and fired ; but the wolf, making a spring just 

 as he pulled the trigger, the ball did not hit a 

 vital part. This enraged her still more ; and she 

 made at him furiously. He had now nothing but an 

 empty rifle with which to defend himself, and instant- 

 ly clubbing it, he laid the stock over the wolf's head. 

 So desperately did the creature fight, that he broke 



