200 DEATH OF THE COUGAR. 



A few yards from the spot where it crouched, there 

 was visible a small projection, which the trappers had 

 regarded as a stump or a tussock of grass. Suddenly the 

 cougar launched itself forward, and, to the astonishment 

 of the hunters, this became all at once animated, and 

 leaped with a feeble scream from its position. Before 

 it had gained half-a-dozen yards, its fierce and active 

 enemy bounded upon it, and in a second the unresist- 

 ing prey lay still upon the grass. At this moment three 

 sharp reports startled the quiet of the scene, and the 

 cougar, springing to the height of four feet in the air, 

 rolled over on its back. 



" Hooraw ! " cried Jake ; " here's the skunk we heerd 

 a-singin' this blessed evenin'. Come, my beauty," he 

 continued, as he ran forward, followed by the young 

 men ; " let's hev a squint at yer p'ints. I reckin yer 

 didn't know old Jake Hawken wur a-lookin' on at yer 

 no, that yer didn't." 



So saying, the old hunter unsheathed his knife, and, 

 with the aid of his companions, in a very few minutes 

 relieved the still quivering carcass of its hide. 



"I reckin 'tain't as valeable as black fox," he ob- 

 served as he folded up the reeking trophy and slung it 

 over his shoulder ; " but 'tain't often one runs agin a 

 ' painter,' an' the honour o' the thing must make up for 

 the loss." 



The smaller animal next attracted their attention. 

 It was a hare, which the cougar had no doubt tracked 

 from the woods by the scent. This Pierre deposited 



