122 WILD SPORTS IN THE SOUTH. 



" There 's that cat again ! " 



Sure enough, the cat came spitting along, and dashed up a tree, 

 sending down the bark in showers on the dogs that were close 

 after her. 



" Drap, you hussy ! " said Mike, following her zig-zag course 

 up the pine-tree with his rifle ; and as she paused he sent a ball 

 through her head, whizzing her down with a whirling motion as 

 though she had been swung down by her tail. 



" Git out, you dogs ! Clare away, that 's my cat ! " he shouted, 

 cuffing the dog aside, and taking possession of his prize. 



" Kehunck ! Kehunck ! " There goes a blue heron, fanning the 

 air with measured stroke. See him sail. He got up so slowly 

 that one of the dogs jumped up at his loDg dangling legs. 



" There go three deer altogether." 



" Don't shoot the does, thar 's no use," called out Mike. 



There was only one buck, and three shots rang so close together 

 we could not tell the report, but the buck fell over among his 

 wives, who leaped ahead, sadly frightened. Mike cut his throat, 

 and left his cat beside him to keep him company. 



" There *s that varmint again," shouted Jackson ; " it 's a 

 panther ! " 



" Whar 's a painter 1 " asked Mike. 



" On ahead ; we 've seen him twice." 



I heard the Doctor's voice from the other side of the island, 

 and the quick repeated report of his double-barrel. Then a shot 

 on our left. 



" That 's Lou again ; push down to the beach there, will you ? " 



I came through the young willows that shut out the view, 

 when I saw Lou gesticulating and pointing ahead, at the same 

 time she was loading. I tried to see what it was, but could not, 

 on account of the intervening bushes. She hurriedly rammed 

 down the wad of shot with which she was provided, sewed up in 

 muslin, and taking aim, fired again. 



" A wolf ! — look out — he is turning in the bushes." 



I ran back just in time to see the animal attempting to sneak 

 back, when, seeing me, he turned ahead, and ran on so quickly I 

 could not shoot, though I saw by his track he was wounded. 



