84 WILD SPORTS IN THE SOUTH. 



" What druv the hogs out so fast — was Yowler arter 'em ? " 



" No, they seemed to come alone, and Yowler skulked down, 

 trembling, just as he is doing now." 



Mike glanced at the dog, and then leaned down until his face 

 almost came against the sod, when, drawing himself partially up, 

 he said, " We 'd better make tracks out of this corner ; there ain't 

 room enough for a free fight heyar." t 



"To fight what?" 



" Painter," he replied. 



I looked at the speaker, but there was not the least bit of 

 joking in his face. 



"How do you know that it is a panther?" said I, in a half 

 whisper, the skia on my head contracting in spite of myself at the 

 idea of the animal having been there where I stood only five 

 minutes before in such fancied security. 



"Wall, I know it in two ways," said Mike, in his natural 

 hearty tone, but without raising himself from his stooping posture, 

 and slowly bringing his rifle to a level, " and one 's 'bout 's good as 

 the t'other. In the fust place, thar 's the mark of his foot on the 

 grass ; and in the next place, thar 's the old sarpent himself under 

 them air bushes." 



I leaned down and followed the direction of Mike's eye under 

 the bushes, and truly there was the panther crouched ( under some 

 wild plum-trees not forty yards off from where we stood. He was 

 in a sitting posture, and one arm was stretched out and placed on 

 the body of the hog that laid beside him. There was something 

 handsome in that position of easy grace, with the careless claim of 

 ownership that he extended over his prize. I caught his yellow 

 eye, and could scarcely remove my own from the fascination of its 

 glance. He had the air of a sentinel challenging us strangers, and 

 I, for one, felt like an intruder, and had a mental desire of apolo- 

 gising, taking off my hat, and retiring. 



"Jist keep steady-like," said Mike, in his usual slow tone. 

 " Don't move fast, but step a leetle away from me, and ef I miss 

 him he will come out, and then you try." 



As he finished speaking, his rifle was at his shoulder, and the 

 clear report of the piece was followed by a rushing bound as the 



