124 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



then s})rang up a leaning tree, where he sat only a minute 

 or two, when he again came down to the ground, and dis- 

 appeared. I was really glad of it, for I found myself so 

 nervous that I could scarcely load my rifle ; and when he 

 was looking at me, I was determined that, if he made an 

 attempt to come nearer to me, I would seek safety iu 

 flight ; for he would have been obliged to ascend a steep 

 hill, and as I had at least five steps start of him, I don't 

 think he could have caught me. If any man would run 

 at all, I think that would have been as good a cause as 

 he could wish for ; and I know I should not have been 

 distanced in that race. In the meantime my dog returned, 

 and I sent him to see what had become of our enemy. He 

 left me in great glee, and descended under a large mass 

 of rocks, where I heard him worrying the panther. I then 

 ventured to the den, and found the beast dead. He was 

 a very large animal, and I felt sure that he had ranged 

 these woods a long time ; for many dead deer had been 

 found there, which had evidently been killed by a panther, 

 and after that fellow was disposed of, no more deer were 

 found dead in those woods. 



This tight postponed my deer hunt, and Mary had to 

 wait the luck of another day. In the morning I rose at 

 break of day, and hunted the grounds I had been over the 

 night before ; but found nothing. I then crossed over to 

 the Meadow Mountain. The morning being cool, and the 

 sun shining warmly on the east side of the mountain, I 

 hunted that side, and presently saw an uncommon big 

 buck, but he was too far otf for me to shoot him. I crept 

 a little nearer to him, but was still too far, as I thought, 

 to shoot ; but finding that I could not get any nearer, 1 

 prepared myself, and took a fair aim at him. As soon as 

 the gun went off, he came running towards me at a gallop ; 

 but by the time he got near me, I had again loaded my 

 gun, and as he waR going at a moderate gallop, I shot as 



