A hunter's life. 283 



his blood all the way home. This panther measured nine 

 feet ten inches from the end of his nose to the tip of his 

 tail. 



Having had but two more panther hunts, I will relate 

 them in this place. I had a friend named James Fitz- 

 water, who resided on a fine hunting ground, convenient 

 to the Glades, as also to the Meadow Mountain and the 

 Savage hills. He was a kind, benevolent man, and his 

 wife was also a kind woman. As I had often been invited 

 to hunt with him, one of my sons went with me to Mr. 

 Fitzwater's, to stay a week ; and such was the good-will 

 among the hunters, that they would not take any pay from 

 each other, unless it would be in the way of a present, 

 such as a sack of apples, or other small articles. We 

 killed several deer ; and on Saturday evening my son told 

 me that he had wounded a fine doe, but had left her, and 

 that he knew she would die, as several pieces of bone had 

 fallen from her wound. As he was going home the next 

 day, he told me that if I would go and catch her, I should 

 have her ; and it would save the deer much pain, as well 

 as from dying by starvation. 



So I concluded to go after the doe on Sunday morning 

 Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwater were very strict Methodists, and 

 of course could not make any allowance for breaking the 

 Sabbath ; but when I pointed out the misery and starving 

 condition of the poor deer, and alleged that it would be 

 a deed of mercy to put the creature out of its misery, the 

 lady became reconciled, and ofiF I started on my errand. 

 T found the track where the young man had left it, and 

 followed it but a short distance, when the tracks of a pan- 

 ther came in before me, and I found that he had pursued 

 tlie deer until he had scared her up twice, after which he 

 left her. 



I kept his tracks instead of the doe's, and followed him 

 with long, quick steps. When I came to level ground I 



