254 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



of the panther, and giving a fearful howl every time 

 he passed across the wind. 



The brute, not possessing courage enough to attack, 

 at length withdrew ; but I remained a good quarter of 

 an hour longer on the watch, till the dog, persuaded that 

 all was safe, had lain down again, when I followed his 

 example, wrapped myself in my blanket, and was soon 

 fast asleep. 



The morning was bitterly cold ; and as I had nothing 

 on my feet but a pair of thin deer-skin moccasins, not 

 even stockings, I thought of a plan I had learned from 

 an old sportsman, and bathed my feet in the icy cold 

 water of the stream, dried them well, and put on my 

 moccasins. My feet were soon in a glow, and remauaed 

 warm all the morning. 



I started at daylight, and followed the course of the 

 stream downwards ; but the bushes grew thicker and 

 thicker, and I was about returning to cross the hill to 

 another brook, when I caught sight of a noble stag in 

 the thicket on my right. I crept quickly and silently 

 round the bush to cut him off, when suddenly I heard 

 a most heart-rending cry from a deer. My first impulse 

 was to rush towards the sound, and on the first move- 

 ment I made for this purpose, Bearsgrease bounded for- 

 wards ; but I thought better of it, and a sharp whistle 

 stopped the dog in his career. A second fainter whistle 

 brought him to my side ; then, hiding behind a tree, I 

 reflected on what was best to be done. 



The shriek certainly came from a deer, and nothing 

 but a panther could have caused it ; for if it had been 

 a wolf, all would not have been silent again so soon, as 

 a wolf could not have overpowered a deer so quickly. 



