PANTHERS, AND OUR OTHER OATS. 421 



were immediate Ij put in trim, and the party followed the 

 dogs, at separate distances, but in sight of each other, deter- 

 mined to shoot at no other game than the Panther. 



The dogs soon began to mouth, and suddenly quickened 

 their pace. My companion concluded that the beast was 

 on the ground, and putting our horses to a gentle gallop, 

 we followed the curs, guided by their voices. The noise of 

 the dogs increased, when, all of a sudden, their mode of 

 barking became altered, and the squatter, urging me to push 

 on, told me that the beast was treed, by which he meant that 

 it had got upon some low branch of a large tree to rest for 

 a few moments, and that should we not succeed in shooting 

 him when thus situated, we might expect a long chase of it. 

 As we approached the spot, we all by degrees united into a 

 body, but on seeing the dogs at the foot of a large tree, 

 separated again and galloped off to surround it. 



Each hunter now moved with caution, holding his gun 

 ready, and allowing the bridle to dangle on the neck of his 

 horse, as it advanced slowly towards the dogs. A shot from 

 one of the party was heard, on which the Cougar was seen 

 to leap to the ground, and bound off with such velocity as to 

 show that he was very unwilling to stand our fire longer. The 

 dogs set off in pursuit with great eagerness and a deafening 

 cry. The hunter who had fired came up and said that his 

 ball had hit the monster, and had probably broken one of his 

 fore-legs near the shoulder, the only place at which he could 

 aim. A slight trail of blood was discovered on the ground, 

 but the curs proceeded at such a rate that we merely noticed 

 this, and put spurs to our horses, which galloped on towards 

 the centre of the Swamp. One bayou was crossed, then 

 another still larger and more muddy; but the dogs were 

 brushing forward, and as the horses began to pant at a 

 furious rate, we judged it expedient to leave them and 

 advance on foot. These determined hunters knew that the 

 Cougar being wounded, would shortly ascend another tree, 



