52 WILD SPORTS IN THE SOUTH. 



pappoose bagged. Yowler began to get restless, and watched the 

 swamp as if he knowed what was coinin'. The woods begun to 

 get blacker, the sun had gone down, and some black clouds bellowed 

 overhead. It looked like a squalL 



" ' Why don't she cum ? ' sez I to myself ; ' or maybe she 's sich 

 a knowin' varmint she 's waitin' for night, to chaw me up com- 

 pletely.' Once I thought I seen her eyes in the edge of the bushes, 

 but it turned out to be some rotten fire- wood. ' Jerusalem ! ' sez 

 I, ' why don't she cum ! ' It got to be so dark I couldn't see the 

 sights on my rifle, and I thought it all over to myself. I own up 

 I felt kind a mean like. This stealin' young cubs out of their 

 nests is onnateral, any way. It is good enough for an Injin, but 's 

 not Christian-like. I could see that old painter comin' home, with 

 her second cub in her mouth. I could tell jist how she felt 

 I could see her big nostril open when she smelt my tracks about 

 her nest ; and when she saw her cub was gone, Lord ! what a cry 

 she would give. I 'd given a bearskin to put that cub back, and 

 then have fit it out with a clare conscience. But 'twas no use 

 a-talkin' ; it couldn't be done, nohow. All that 's left when the 

 deal is made is to stand up to yer hand. ' But,' thinks I to my- 

 self, ' ef it 's right to shoot the old painter, it is right to ketch her 

 kitten.' That's the natur of man; ef they do anything wrong 

 they reason to themselves to make it right. 



" ' Jerusalem ! ' sez I, as it got blacker and the fire-flies cum 

 about, ' why don't she cum ? ' Jist then, in lookin' around me, I 

 sees a light shine on the other shore a little way below. I knew 

 right off it was an Injin camp, and reckoned it was part of Tiger 

 Tail's band, that had cum up from below. Nasty varmints that 

 band was — worse en painters any day. Howsumever, Injins or no 

 Injins, they will help fight the painter ; so I rolled a drift-log into 

 the water, and once more paddled over the river. I looked behind 

 once or twice to see if the painter wasn't a comin' over, too, and 

 climbin' on the log behind me, but it was only the mullet jumpin' 

 in the river, and so I got over with the cub all right, and put right 

 down the bank for the camp. Yer better believe I didn't let grass 

 grow under me. As I cum up to the fire-light, I saw who the 

 Injins were ; they were friendly enough that summer, but mighty 



