98 AUDUBON THE NATURALIST. 



wood tree. His eyes alternately glanced at his 

 pursuers, and the dogs around and beneath him. 

 His wounded fore-leg hung loosely, as he 

 crouched, with his ears close to his head, as 

 though designing to remain undiscovered. On 

 a given signal, three balls were discharged ; 

 when the monster, smitten with the agony of 

 the blow, sprung a few feet from the tree, and 

 then fell headlong to the earth. 



Attacked on all sides, he fought with infuri- 

 ated desperation ; till the bold settler, advancing 

 in front of the cavalcade, struck him a fatal 

 blow. For a moment he writhed in agony, the 

 next lay dead, as shouts from the combatants 

 told the victory was won. 



To celebrate it, the cougar was despoiled of 

 his skin for a trophy, and a camp festival was 

 held on the spot by the victors. Beside a blaz- 

 ing fire, with venison and whisky for their 

 cheer, stories and songs went round ; till, 

 wearied with the toils of war, they laid them- 

 selves down, and were soon asleep. The only 

 booty of, the fray, the cougar's skin, remained 

 in the possession of the settler, in order that, 

 while gazing on it, he might congratulate him- 

 self on the extinction of the much dreaded 

 destroyer of his stock. 



i An incident, not less memorable than this en- 

 counter with the cougar, occurred to Audubon 



