158 
THE PANTHER. 
can rear their young unmolested. They are 
very fond of their little ones, and will en¬ 
counter any danger in their defence. I 
read, not long ago, a story of a gentleman 
who was riding through the woods in Ar¬ 
kansas, when his attention was attracted by 
some lamentable outcries; and, looking nar¬ 
rowly about, he perceived near the roadside 
what appeared to be a half-grown kitten, 
but in a very starved and miserable condi¬ 
tion. Being, I suppose, a humane man, he 
dismounted, and squeezed the creature into 
the deep pocket of his great-coat, intend¬ 
ing to leave it at a house a few miles farther 
on, where he w T as to stop for the night. 
The little thing made a horrible noise, to 
which he paid little attention, till he heard 
its outcries answered b}^ a scream from be¬ 
hind, when, looking round, he beheld a 
large panther in full chase; and then, for 
the first time, he perceived the state of the 
case. The animal he had humanely picked 
up was a young panther, and the mother 
was bent upon rescuing her child.” 
“What did he do?” asked Annie and 
Kate together. 
“ He tried to disengage his prot^gd from 
