A hunter's life. S73 



CHAPTER XI. 



Beta a steel-trap for Wolves — Catches a Panther in it — It flshts the Dogs — FlncU 

 other Tracks in the snow — Pursues ami kills two more — Finds another Panther 

 Track — Pursues him many miles, when he trees, shoots, and wounds him — Most 

 desperate Fight between Hunter, Dog, and Panther — Dog loses an Eye — Another 

 Panther-Chase — Follows him from thirty-five to furty miles before killing him — 

 Returning home, finds a Panther's Track — f'ollows it into the Laurels — Cun- 

 ning of the Panther to elude pursuit — Treed by the Dog — Shoots and wounds 

 bim — Hard Fight with Dog — Killed by another shot — Hunts again on the Poto- 

 mac, with Hugh MclMullen — Kills three Deer, and camps in the Snow — Feet 

 frozen — Returns to "Milk and Honey" — Hunts eight days — Kills thirteen 

 Deer and u Catamount — Exciting Bear-Fight, and Mr. Wable — His great Fright. 



At that time, I had a steel-trap set for wolves, near the 

 residence of a man named Little. He was a good man, 

 and I sometimes lodged with him, as he lived in the lower 

 part of the hunting-ground. After the snow before spoken 

 of had melted off, I rose early, and went to Mr. Little's to 

 attend to my trap. 



I was walking fast along a road, when I saw an animal 

 come into it and run along a considerable distance ; but I 

 could not tell whether it was a wolf or a panther. A little 

 snow had fallen in the night, but not enough for me to tell 

 by the tracks which of those beasts it was. As I was 

 watching closely, I caught sight of the animal, standing 

 by the side of the road, quite near me ; and when he broke 

 off into the thick laurel, I saw it was a small panther. 



I went to my trap, and finding nothing in it, I "eturned 

 I kept thinking about the panther; so when I came to 

 where I first saw him, I turned aside, to try and find out 

 what had been his business in that place. After search- 

 ing round, I discovered that there had been two or three 



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