332 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



the mouth of the cave. I only remember that, in the 

 impenetrable darkness and thick smoke, I did not 

 know which way to* turn, and that Conwell dragged 

 me out. When we came into the light of day, we 

 found ourselves covered with sweat and blood, and our 

 clothes all torn. 



Conwell complained of pain in the breast. Tearing 

 open his shirt, we found two deep gashes from the left 

 shoulder to the pit of the stomach ; I had escaped with 

 only a few scratches. We had neither of us felt when 

 we were wounded, but before we troubled ourselves 

 about it, w^e made a fire in the mouth of the cave to 

 prevent the panther from coming out; then washed 

 and bound up our wounds, and sat by the fire to con- 

 sider what was next to be done. There was the pan- 

 ther in the cave, whether alive or dead we knew not. 

 At any rate, he was badly wounded, for both our knives, 

 with blades nine inches long, were bloody to the hilt. 

 But indeed we had no choice ; our rifles, and Conwell's 

 ball-pouch, which the brute had torn away, were still in 

 the cave. 



It might perhaps have been possible to suffocate the 

 panther with smoke, but there might have been 

 another opening, and then we should have had our 

 trouble for nothing. We soon made up our minds, and 

 entered the cave again with fresh torches and bare 

 knives, but not without beating hearts. We moved 

 silently and cautiously on, holding the torches well 

 before us, so as not to be so agreeably surprised a 

 second time. We recovered our rifles without seeins: 

 the enemy. I held both the torches while Conwell 

 loaded his rifle, then gave them to him while I loaded 



