284 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 



from the bear, and came directly to the water's edge to drink, 

 and allay the parching thirst created by so great excite- 

 ment, after which it looked first down and then up the 

 stream, as though it sought a place to recross, that it might 

 avoid the water, and then, as if satiated with revenge, and 

 enjoying its victory, stood twisting and curling its tail like 

 a cat, and then commenced licking itself dry. The animal 

 was now within thirty-five yards of me, and seeing no pros- 

 pect of its recrossing the stream, I took rest for my rifle on 

 a projecting limb of the tree on which I still sat, and fired 

 directly at the panther's heart. The moment I discharged 

 my rifle, the monster made a spring about six feet perpen- 

 dicularly, with a tremendous growl, which reverberated 

 among the rocks, and fell in the same spot whence it sprang, 

 with all its legs extended, and lay in this situation, half 

 crouched, rocking from side to side, as if in the dizziness of 

 approaching death. I saw plainly that my fire was fatal, 

 but I had too much experience to approach this enemy, un- 

 til I could no longer discover signs of life. I therefore re- 

 loaded my rifle, and with a second shot, I pierced immedi- 

 ately behind the ear; its head then dropped between its 

 paws, and all was quiet. My next difficulty was to cross 

 the stream, as I did not like to wade it, unless every other 

 means to gain the opposite shore should fail; I accordingly 

 walked a considerable distance down the stream, and was 

 fortunate enough to cross, by means of a fallen tree, against 

 which a large quantity of drift-wood had lodged, and form- 

 ed a complete bridge. On my approach to the dead animals, 

 I felt an involuntary restraint against going too near them, 

 for although I had the plainest demonstration that both were 

 dead, yet the scene of strife I had witnessed, its unexpected, 

 fatal, and sudden termination, had so involved my feelings 

 in tremor, that I could not divest mj^self of a cowardly fear, 

 which indeed too many feel under less terrifying circum- 

 stances, but have not candour enough to acknowledge it. 



Perhaps, too, my success in destroying the panther con- 

 tributed to the excitement. However, after a short inter- 

 val, my calmness and nerve returned, and I took a survey of 

 the late belligerents. I gave but a momentary glance at the 

 panther, which lay perfectly dead on its belly, with the legs 

 and claws fully extended, and griped firmly in the earth. 

 The bear lay about twenty-five feet up the bank, dead, yet 

 bleeding, and with its entrails torn completely from the ab- 

 domen, presented a most pitiful appearance, and displayed, 

 with horrid aspect, the ferocious energies of its powerful an- 

 tagonist, when roused to madness and revenge; but how in- 

 ferior in all their terrors, are the natural strength and ferocity 

 of the most dreaded wild animals, to the physical and men- 

 tal powers of man. In the present instance, the victor had 

 breathed but a few pulsations after the strife, ere, by the 

 wonderful invention of the rifle, it was hushed in death 

 forever. 



To me, the cause of this battle was, and must forever 

 remain a mystery. I spent much time on the spot endeav- 

 ouring to account for the cause, and the only good reason 

 I can give, I obtained by inference and circumstantial evi- 

 dence. 



On examining the panther, no marks of violence appeared, 

 except, where my rifle balls had passed completely through, 

 within a foot of each other, but on turning the animal on its 

 back, I discovered it to be a female, and a mother, and, by 

 the enlargement of her teats, had evidently been suckling 

 her young. From this circumstance, I supposed the bear 

 had made inroads upon her lair, and more than probable 

 destroyed her kittens. I was the more convinced of this, 

 from the fact, that I never knew from my own experience, 

 nor could I gather from the oldest hunters among my acquain- 

 tance, an instance wherein a panther and a bear came in colli- 

 sion with each other, or enter into deadly strife; and again, 

 no circumstance but the above, would be sufficient to awaken 

 that vindictive perseverance in the passions of a panther, 

 which would lead to the annihilation of so formidable an ani- 

 mal as a bear. Under these views, I feel satisfied that my 

 inference was correct. 



It was now nearly five o'clock, and the sun was sinking 

 fast behind the western hills, and the valleys already began 

 to wear a sombre aspect from the broad shadows of the 

 mountains. I had upwards of seven miles to retrace my 

 steps, and one-third of this distance was up a rugged and 

 lofty mountain; and bidding adieu to the manes of these 

 departed worthies, and leaving them where many a warrior 

 has been left — on the field of battle — I sought my home 

 with rapid strides, satisfied that as a hunter, I had passed 

 an eventful day; and although I might have killed on my 

 return to my habitation, towards the approach of evening 

 several deer, yet after my success, and the magnitude of my 

 adventure, they appeared so innocent, and trifling in my 

 sight, that I thought it unworthy of my skill to shoot them, 

 and therefore let them pass; and my mind being so filled 

 with the scenes of the day, that time and distance passed 

 unheeded, and shortly after dark I reached my home, wel- 

 comed by a watchful and solicitous family. M. 

 Philadelphia, Dec. 1831. 



A PARTV of gentlemen, in Belchertown, Mass. held a hunt 

 recently, for squirrels, rabbits, woodpeckers, and owls. — 

 The party was divided into two sets of twenty each. Af- 

 ter the day's hunt the game was counted, and the result of 

 the sport announced. One side counted 433, and expected 

 to win, but it was soon announced that the other side count- 

 ed precisely the same number; of course the supper, &c. 

 which seems to have been the prize contended for, was 

 paid for mutually. — Am. Turf Reg. 



