78 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



to hide themselves. I took the trail, and into the thicket 

 I went, where I soon saw the deer running in different 

 directions. I got between them, in hopes that I should 

 see them trying to come together again. I kept my stand 

 perhaps five or six minutes, when I saw something slipping 

 through the bushes, which I took to be one of the deer ; 

 bat I soon found that it was coming toward me. I kept 

 a close look out for it ; and directly, within ten steps of 

 me, up rose the head and shoulders of the largest panther 

 that I ever saw, either before or since. He kept behind 

 a large log that was near me, and looked over. But 

 though I had never seen a wild one before, I knew the 

 gentleman, and was rather afraid of him. I aimed my 

 rifle at him as well as I could, he looking me full in the 

 face ; and when I fired he made a tremendous spring from 

 me, and ran off through the brush and briers, with the dog 

 after him. 



As soon as I recovered a little from my fright, I loaded 

 again, and started after them. I followed them as fast as 

 I could, and soon found them at the foot of a large and 

 very high rock ; the panther, in his hurry, having sprung 

 down the cleft of rock fifteen or twenty feet ; but the dog, 

 being afraid to venture so great a leap, ran round, and the 

 two had met in a thick laurel swamp, where they were 

 fighting the best way they could, each trying to get the 

 advantage of the other. I stood on the top of the rock 

 over them, and fired at the base of the panther's ear, when 

 down he went ; and I ran round the rock, with my toma- 

 hawk in hand, believing him to be dead. But when I got 

 near him, I found he was up and fighting again, and con- 

 sequently I had to hurry back for my gun, load it again, 

 creep slyly up, take aim at his ear, as before, and give him 

 another shot, which laid him dead on the ground. My 

 first shot nad broken his shoulder ; the second pierced 

 his ear, passing downward through his tongue ; the last 



