FAREWELL TO THE SPEAR. 101 



got up to her before any of ray opponents. The 

 caster's superior speed had at the outset enabled 

 him to keep the good start I had obtained, and 

 my only dangerous rival, the owner of Muzzle, 

 was practically hors-de-combat. Again the panther 

 crouched, but this time I could choose my time ; 

 and, galloping past, I speared her through the 

 loins. On receiving the spear, she at once scuttled 

 off, and gained the shelter of a sort of blind lane 

 that led in the direction of the cover where we 

 had found her. Here she took refuge on the top 

 of one of the banks, under a thick mass of thorns. 

 The beaters, who had followed us en masse, now 

 came running up towards her, though on the field 

 side of the lane, shouting and yelling. They, of 

 course, were unaware of their danger, and, though 

 I shouted myself hoarse in trying to warn them, 

 the din they were making made my voice in- 

 audible. I felt sure mischief would ensue, so, 

 though the panther lay on my bridle-hand, and 

 so would oblige me to spear over-hand, always a 

 risky proceeding, I determined to do so, and, 

 squeezing the c caster ' through a thorny gap, I 

 dropped into the lane. The panther was plainly 

 visible to me in the lane, though the approaching 

 beaters could not see her. 



As soon as I tried starting the c caster,' he de- 

 clined, and a nice game of romps we had in the 



