COMMON AMERICAN WILD CAT. 7 



tempt to separate it from the latter. No sooner does he become aware 

 that the enemy is on his track, than, instead of taking a straight course 

 for the deepest forest, he speeds to one of the largest old-fields overgro'WTi 

 with briary thickets, in the neighbourhood ; and having reached this 

 tangled maze, he runs in a variety of circles, crossing and re-crossing his 

 path many times, and when he thinks the scent has been diffused suffici- 

 ently in different directions by this manceuvre, to puzzle both men and 

 dogs, he creeps sljly forth, and makes for the woods, or for some well 

 known swamp, and if he should be lucky enough to find a half-dried-up 

 pond, or a part of the swamp, on which the clayey bottom is moist and 

 sticky, he seems to know that the adhesive soil, covering his feet and 

 legs, so far destroys the scent, that although the hounds may be in full 

 cry on reaching such a place, and while crossing it, they will lose the 

 track on the opposite side, and perhaps not regain it without some diffi- 

 culty and delajr. 



At other times the " Cat," when chased by the dogs, gains some tract 

 of " burnt wood," common especially in the pine lands of Carolina, where 

 fallen and upright trees are alike blackened and scorched, by the fire 

 that has run among them burning before it every blade of grass, every 

 leaf and shi-ub, and destroying many of the largest trees in its furious 

 course ; and here, the charcoal and ashes on the ground, after he has 

 traversed the burnt district a short distance, and made a few leaps along 

 the trunk of a fallen tree, that has been charred in the conflagration, 

 will generally put any hounds at fault. Should no such chance of safety 

 be within his reach, he does not despair, but exerting his powers of flight 

 to the utmost, increases his distance from the pursuing pack, and follow^- 

 ing as intricate and devious a path as possible, after many a weary mile 

 has been run over, he reaches a long-fallen trunlc of a tree, on which 

 he may perchance at some previous time have baffled the hunters as he 

 is now about to do. He leaps on to it, and hastily running to the 

 farther end, doubles and returns to the point from which he gained the 

 tree, and after running backward and forward repeatedly on the fallen 

 trunk, he makes a sudden and vigorous spring, leaping as high up into 

 a tree some feet distant, as he can ; he then climbs to its highest forks, 

 (branches,) and closely squatted, watches the movements of his pursuers. 

 The dogs are soon at fault, for he has already led them through many 

 a crooked path ; the hunters are dispirited and weary, and perhaps the 

 density of the woods, or the approach of night favours him. The hunts- 

 men call off their dogs from the fruitless search, and give up the chase ; 

 and shortly afterwards the escaped marauder, descends leisurely to the 

 earth, and wanders off in search of food, and to begin a new series of ad- 

 ventures. 



