ENCOUNTER WITH THE COUGAR. 97 
ers, repressing their eagerness, moved their well- 
tramed horses cautiously forward. A shot was 
heard. The cougar leapt to the ground, but 
again bounded off, the dogs now darting in pur- 
suit, with deafening cries, still towards the cen- 
tre of the swamp. A slight trail of blood upon 
the ground convinced the pursuers that the mon- 
ster had not been aimed at in vain. 
On sped the hounds, till the horses, spurred 
forwards and emulating their swift march, be- 
gan to pant in the chase. The panther being 
wounded, the wily hunters well knew he would 
soon ascend ancther tree for refuge. Dismount- 
ing then their weary horsés, the combatants, 
nothing disheartened, pressed forward on foot. 
Pools, one after another, still larger and more 
stagnant, fallen trees and tangled brushwood, 
which covered acres of the ground, were soon 
crossed. After a march of two hours again, the 
exciting cry of the hounds was heard. Stimu- 
lated still more in the chase, each one, elated 
with the hope of being the first to terminate 
the career of the terrible cougar, seemed ani- 
mated with the indomitable ambition of Hercu- 
les, Theseus, or St. George. At last, from the 
peculiar barking of the dogs, they knew the 
cougar was again treed, and this time, as they 
approached, beheld the ferocious animal dis- 
tinctly, lying across the huge trunk of a cotton: 
9 G 
