A HUNTING PARTY. 95 
during which, many an entertaining recital was 
alternately made, closed at length into night, 
when all betook themselves to their pallets of 
bearskin, on the floor of the only apartment the 
hut contained. With the return of dawn, Audu- 
son was awakened by the settler’s call to his dogs, 
f which the numbers had been greatly dimin- 
ish2d—he was informed on joining his host—by 
the ravages of the cougar or American panther, 
which frequented the neighbourhood, Added to 
these devastations it had committed many feats 
of singular audacity, all which were related by 
the settler, in order to impress upon Audubon 
the formidable character of the animal. 
But the Naturalist, nothing daunted, was de- 
lighted by the description, and equally to the 
surprise and satisfaction of his host, assured him 
how pleased he should he to assist in the attack, 
and, if possible, the destruction of the enemy. 
The suggestion was gratefully received, and the 
settler after scouring the country in search of 
candidates for the adventure, at length suc- 
ceeded in appointing a day of meeting. Ac- 
cordingly, one morning as the sun rose brightly, 
five hunters on horseback, fully equipped for the 
chase, presented themselves at the door of the 
cabin. They were soon joined by Audubon and 
his companion, mounted on trusty animals—the 
whole cavalcade followed, not only by the set 
