A hunter's life. 2T5 



trap, wheu the dogs sprang at him, boxed them with hia 

 sharp claws, seized, and bit them severely ; whereupon the 

 dogs would fly back ; and whenever they advanced toward 

 him, he hit them such terrible slaps with his paws that 

 they began to be very careful how they approached. I 

 suppose they had been fighting from a quarter to half an 

 hour, when, as the dogs refused to risk their noses any 

 more within reach of the panther's claws, we let out 

 mine. 



He made one spring on the panther, seized him by the 

 neck, and holding on to him, kept him from biting ; but 

 the panther made the hair fly with his claws for a minute 

 or two, and tore the dog very much with his nails. But 

 at length the dog held his throat so tight that he began 

 to grow weaker and weaker, until at last he surrendered, 

 when the dog worried him to death. 



The ladies became the friends of the panther when they 

 saw him overpowered and unable to help himself any more, 

 and their tender natures could not help but sympathize 

 with the poor fellow in his forlorn condition. When he 

 was dead, we took him to the house, and I staid all night 

 to see if I could catch another ; for I held them no good 

 will, because they killed so many deer. That night, snow 

 fell from four to six inches deep. 



In the morning, when I saw such a beautiful snow on 

 the ground, I told Mr. Little that I would try to find 

 where the old panther had her residence ; and after break- 

 fast I took a scout around where the trap was set, for I 

 was certain that the old one was in company with the 

 young one when he got into the trap, and would come 

 back to look for her cub again, I had not made more 

 than half my circuit, when I found her track, where she 

 had come out of a swamp, and was taking a straight 

 coui'se fo. the Savage river, which ran through a very 



