494 
RURAL HOURS. 
The sleighing very good, though we have but httle snow on 
the ground. Walked near the village ; a solitary bird flew past 
us, a sparrow, I believe ; generally in winter most birds move in 
flocks. 
Friday, 9 th. — The papers this evening give an instance of a 
man recently killed by panthers near Umbagog Lake, a large 
sheet of water on the borders of New Hampshire. A hunter left 
home one morning to look after his traps, as usual ; at night he 
did not return, and the next day his friends went out to look after 
him, when his body was found in the Avoods, mangled and torn, 
with the tracks of two panthers about the spot. So far as the 
marks in the snow could tell the sad history, it was believed that 
the hunter had come suddenly on these wild creatures ; that he 
was afraid to fire, lest he should exasperate one animal by killing 
the other, and had thought it wiser to retrace his steps, walking 
backAvard, as was shoAvn by his foot-prints ; the panthers had fol- 
lowed as he retreated with his face toward them, but there were 
no signs of a struggle for some distance. He had, indeed, re- 
turned half a mile from the point Avhere he met the animals, when 
he had apparently taken a misstep, and fallen backward over a 
dead tree; at this moment, the Avild beasts would seem to haA^e 
sprung upon him. And Avhat a fearful death the poor hunter 
must have died ! Panthers, it is said, Avould be very likely to 
have taken advantage of such an accident, Avhen they might not 
have attacked the man had he continued to face them Avithout in 
his turn attacking them. The body, when found, was torn and 
mangled ; the hunter's gun, loaded and cocked, lay where it had 
fallen ; but the creatures had left the spot Avhen the friends of the 
poor man came up. They Avere folloAved some distance by their 
