THE PANTHERS. 81 



down the rocks some fifty feet into the gulf be >w, 

 As I fired, I stepped behind the tree again to load I 

 warn't an hour-loadin' that time, 'Squire, as you 3 lay 

 guess, and I warn't in such a hurry as not to do it 

 sure, either. "Well, I peaked out from behind my tree, 

 and there was the other varmint, walkin' and lookin' 

 around mighty oneasy like. He didn't seem to un- 

 derstand the matter at all. He hadn't discovered me, 

 and it seemed as though he was astonished at the 

 conduct of his mate. He would snuff the ground, 

 and creep carefully down to the edge of the precipice, 

 and look over, as if wondering what had possessed 

 the other to plunge into such an infernal hole. He 

 was evidently displeased with such conduct. The 

 hair on his back was up, like that of an angry dog, 

 and I wasn't- sorry that he did'nt see me, and that 

 there was a gulf between us. After walkin' round, and 

 lashing himself with his long tail, he set down on his 

 haunches, and looked towards where I was standing. 

 His breast was towards me, and I sighted him b/ the 

 side of the tree long and sure, and pulled. You 

 ought to have seen the bound he made, 'Squire. He 

 was twenty good feet above the brink of the precipice, 

 and I'm blamed if he didn't clear it, and go over and 



