282 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



to (atch me, and as he turned, the blow struck on his head, 

 I aimed at his hips, but having turned himself entirely round 

 it fell, by the greatest accident in the world, on his head, 

 and brought him flat to the ground. 



I stood perfectly astonished at the accident, thought- 

 lessly contemplating that strange as well as lucky circum- 

 stance, when I saw his eyes begin to snap, and he com- 

 menced to show signs of returning life. I took out my 

 pocket-knife, and was going to stab him under the fore- 

 leg, at the point nearest his heart ; but when I took hold 

 of his leg to raise it, he snatched it from me with great 

 power ; and finding it no time to stay so near him, I flew 

 from him as I would from a flame of fire. 



When I looked back, the dog had caught him by the 

 ear, and they seemed to be equally engaged. I again ran 

 up with my club, and struck while they were both clinched. 

 The dog was on the oS" side, and I struck so hard on the 

 panther's head, that my club broke, when down went both 

 the panther and the dog. 



Finding that I had bim down again, I was determined 

 not to let him rise any more ; so I continued my blows 

 until I found that he lay quiet, when I felt his head, and 

 found it mashed soft. I saw my dog shaking his head, 

 and finding that one eye was completely gone, I was much 

 pained to know that the noble beast which had fought so 

 bravely, should have experienced such a serious loss ; and 

 the more so, because I could not tell whether the panther 

 had scratched it out with his claws, or I had inflicted the 

 injury in striking the panther, when I knocked them botli 

 down. But no matter how or when it was done, he never 

 uttered so much as a whine. In this fight, I think there 

 was nearly a quarter of an acre of ground torn up, and 

 the blood from the panther and the dog reddened the 

 snow to such an extent, that it looked as if some one had 

 been killing hogs. My poor dog spattered the road with 



