120 A NATURAL GROTTO. 



devoured carcass of a kid. The game had been killed 

 during the night, for it was fresh and without odour. 



Everything showed that we had at length reached the 

 spot to which the panther had retired to pass the day. 



The snow which had fallen for the last eight and forty 

 hours covered the ground, like a vast shroud ; and the 

 animal's footprints could be traced upon it, like a seal 

 upon sealing-wax. These traces guided us to the summit 

 of the Paddy Mountains, and to a rock which, cloven in 

 twain, formed a natural grotto, whose recesses were 

 hidden in the deepest darkness. 



One of our dogs thrust his head into the rocky fissure, 

 and immediately "gave tongue;" a proof that the panther 

 was within a few paces of us. 



I do not know whether nature has endowed dogs with 

 more courage by day than by night ; but it is certain that 

 the very hounds which, on the preceding evening, had 

 returned with drooping head and tail between their legs 

 from their pursuit of the panther, now hesitated not one 

 moment before rushing headlong into the narrow opening 

 of the grotto to attack the enemy. Two of them had 

 forced their way in before the Messrs. Pendleton could 

 prevent them. 



A terrible yell was immediately heard, followed by the 

 howls of the two hounds. "We were at a loss what steps 

 to take. Unless the dogs could be got out, they would be 

 killed. Mr. Rudolph, Mr. Pendleton's eldest son, ordered 

 the two negroes to creep into the hole and draw forth 

 the dogs by their feet or tail. Adonis and Jupiter 

 (as the two slaves were ludicrously called) immediately 

 obeyed, and contrived to extricate the dogs from their 

 perilous position. One of them had received no injury, 



