THE FLORIDA PANTHER. 47 
places it was necessary to cut the thorn vines at almost every step. 
Slowly pushing my way in, listening to the dogs, especially to the 
shrill, high piping of Doc, who uttered almost a continuous howl 
whenever the panther moved, I approached within twelve or fifteen 
yards of where the animal was concealed. 
Stepping cautiously over the logs and peering about me at every 
possible place where I thought she might be, I located her pretty 
detinitely by the actions of the hounds which were now close to 
me, moving about from place to place, but all gazing in the direction 
of a thick clump of ferns and bushes surrounding an immense fallen 
cypress. Cautiously moving to one side, I saw the panther crouch- 
ing beside and partly under the fallen tree. She was not over 
twenty feet distant, and as she turned her snarling face towards me 
she presented one of the ugliest pictures I have ever seen. Her 
ears were drawn tightly back and she exposed a splendid set of 
teeth. A very pungent, musty odor was perceptible. As she 
turned towards me all the dogs sprang at her at once. Even gentle 
little Doc threw himself bravely into the fray, and crippled Cleve 
jumped at her as gamely as ever. She turned on them with a 
quickness that was astonishing, uttering a snarling roar while 
biting and clawing at them savagely ; but just then I fired, once, 
twice, three t/nes, as fast as I could work the lever, and the great 
cat lay kicking and aimlessly biting, as the dogs worried her and 
fastened their teeth in her tough hide, while I cheered them on, and 
praised them, and told them what good dogs they were. Poor 
Cleve laid himself down close to the panther and commenced licking 
his foreleg, in which the bone was badly crushed. Bruce showed 
a long cut on his flank, and little Doc was scratched about the neck ; 
luckily, none of the wounds were serious, although Cleve was laid 
up for some time. This was Doc’s first panther and he was beside 
himself with joy and excitement. He would rush at the dead 
animal, and bite her, and bark at the same time, and then come 
running to me, wagging his tail and looking up into my eyes, as if 
to say, ‘* Did you see me bite her? I was a little afraid at first, 
she was so big and ugly, but when I saw her turn towards you I 
