330 WILD SPORTS IX THE FAR WEST. 



be worse. To our inexpressible joy, snow fell during 

 the night, and all thoughts of return vanished. We 

 took different directions, with the agreement to return 

 to camp in the evening. I had not gone far when I 

 saw footsteps of a young buck in the four-inch deep 

 snow, followed him up and shot him. I heard the 

 report of Conwell's rifle about the same time. Hanging 

 up the deer, I walked on. After lounging along slowly 

 for above an hour, without seeing any tiling, I came 

 across the track of Conwell, who, with his dog, had 

 been following up the bloody trail of a panther ; I 

 gathered from the signs that he had broken his left 

 hind leg. I followed it up on the instant, as fast as 

 my legs could carry me ; in rather more than an hour 

 I arrived at the mouth of a cave, where Conwell was 

 awaiting me, knowing that I should cross his trail, 

 and follow it up as soon as I saw the marks of the 

 panther. 



The wounded brute had taken refuge in the cave, 

 leaving us to act as we pleased, probably thinking 



himself quite safe. We held a short consultation ; 



Conwell said, that he had hidden a bundle of kindlers 

 in a hole, and that if I would keep watch here, he 

 would go and fetch them. I consented, of course, 

 and laid myself down before the cave, with bare knife 

 and cocked rifle. Lying in the snow, however, was 

 any thing but agreeable ; at first, when I was warm 

 with running, I thought nothing of it, but by degrees 

 I became colder and colder, till my teeth chattered. I 

 could not venture to lay aside the rifle to make a fire, 

 for fear the panther should escape. I managed to keep 

 up a little warmth by running and jumping, but was 



