with several of whom he usually leaves a mark that
distinguishes them for the rest of their lives.

The scream of the cougar is a common phrase. It is not very certain
that the creature is addicted to the habit of screaming, although noises
of this kind heard in the nocturnal forest have been attributed to him.
Hunters, however, have certainly never heard him, and they believe that
the scream talked about proceeds from one of the numerous species of
owls that inhabit the deep forests of America. At short intervals, the
cougar does make himself heard in a note which somewhat resembles a
deep-drawn sigh, or as if one were to utter with an extremely guttural
expression the syllables "Co-oa," or "Cougar." Is it from this that he
derives his trivial name?

CHAPTER EIGHT.

OLD IKE'S ADVENTURE.

Now a panther story was the natural winding-up of this day, and it had
been already hinted that old Ike had "rubbed out" several of these
creatures in his time, and no doubt could tell more than one "painter"
story.

"Wal, strengers," began he, "it's true thet this hyur ain't the fust
painter I've comed acrosst. About fifteen yeern ago I moved to
Loozyanny, an' thur I met a painter, an' a queer story it are."

"Let us have it by all means," said several of the party, drawing closer
up and seating themselves to listen attentively. We all knew that a
story from Ike could not be otherwise than "queer," and our curiosity
was on the _qui vive_.

"Wal then," continued he, "they have floods dowd thur in Loozyanny, sich
as, I guess, you've never seen the like o' in England." Here Ike
addressed himself specially to our English comrade. "England ain't big
enough to hev sich floods. One o' 'm ud kiver yur hul country, I hev
heern said. I won't say that ar's true, as I ain't acquainted with yur
jography. I know, howsomdever, they're mighty big freshets thur, as I
hev sailed a skift more 'n a hundred mile acrosst one o' 'm, whur thur
wan't nothin' to be seen but cypress tops peep in out o' the water. The
floods, as ye know, come every year, but them ar big ones only oncest in
a while.

"Wal, as I've said about fifeteen yeern ago, I located in the Red River
bottom, about fifty mile or tharabout below Nacketosh, whur I built me a
shanty. I hed left my wife an' two young critters in Massissippi state,
intendin' to go back for 'em in the spring; so, ye see, I wur all alone
by meself, exceptin' my ole mar, a Collins's axe, an'