276 PORTYFOUR YEARS OP 



mouiitainous country, covered with almost impenetrable 

 thickets. 



Traveling on with a light foot and a willing mind, I 

 presently found a fine large doe, which she had killed, and 

 sucked its blood. The body being still warm, I skinned 

 it, took the track again, and followed it over the Meadow 

 Mountain down to the Savage river, and on to the steep 

 hills along its border, until at last I came to a very high, 

 steep point ; when, looking down to my left, in a little 

 bottom, I saw that the snow over a large space was very 

 bloody. I fixed my dint, in order that nothing should be 

 wanting when the attack was made ; and all being iu 

 prime order, bullets in my mouth and ramrod properly 

 adjusted, I approached cautiously, and found another deer 

 nearly eaten up, which had been killed before the snow 

 fell — showing clearly that the old panther, when her 

 young one got into the trap, becoming aware of danger, 

 had taken her two remaining cubs down (o that place, 

 killed that deer for them to live on wliile she went in 

 search of the lost one, and on her way back had killed 

 the fine doe before mentioned. 



When I came down to the bloody ground, they had that 

 minute left their meat, and entered an almost impenetrable 

 thicket. The dog was so keen that I pitied him, for I 

 knew he loved sport just as well as I did ; so telling him 

 to try what he could do, oflF he went, when I began to be 

 afraid that, if he caught one of the cubs, the old panther 

 might make him, as Dr. Franklin says, " pay too dear for 

 his whistle." Hearing the brush cracking, and expecting 

 every moment to hear the dog yelp, I ran with all my 

 speed to try to be in the fight ; but away they went toward 

 the top of the hill, over which the dog ran at full cry. I 

 followed, and when I had gained the summit of the hill, 

 I stood to see which course they would take next ; but 

 finding they had tacked, and were returning toward me, I 



