THE " PAINTER " AND THE HARE. 199 



ference atween a stump an' a fox yit. But," he sud- 

 denly cried, "what'n thunder's that lopin' varmint 

 comin' round the brush yonder ?" 



The young trappers looked eagerly in the direction 

 indicated, and soon observed a large animal stealing 

 forward cautiously from the shelter of some low bushes, 

 and apparently bent on approaching their place of con- 

 cealment. As far as they could judge in the deceptive 

 light, the new-comer was a long and apparently some- 

 what clumsily-shaped animal; and from its stealthy, 

 cat-like mode of progression now creeping rapidly 

 forward, again squatting flat on the ground behind 

 some slight obstruction it did not require Jake's 

 whispered exclamation, "A painter!" to convince them 

 of its identity. 



With breathless interest they watched the motions 

 of the fierce and wary creature. As yet it was evi- 

 dently unconscious of the proximity of such dangerous 

 foes. Some object in the open glade had fixed its 

 attention ; but what this could be, neither Jake nor the 

 two young hunters were able to guess. In its gradual 

 approach it had at length placed itself within easy rifle- 

 shot ; but the curiosity of the ambushed party as to its 

 future movements caused them to reserve their fire. 

 They now could observe that the cougar flattened itself 

 out, and almost seemed to sink into the ground; in 

 which position it would have certainly escaped the eye 

 of any one who had not previously watched its 

 motions. 



