one copse to another jest ahead. Which he's goin' like a arrow; no
mistake! As for us Chevy Chasers, we parallels the hunt, an' continyoos
poundin' the Skinner turnpike abreast of the pack, ever an' anon givin'
a encouragin' shout as we briefly sights our game.

"'Gents,' says Colonel Sterett, as he ag'in refreshes hims'ef, 'it's
needless to go over that hunt in detail. We hustles the flyin' demon
full eighteen miles, our faithful dogs crowdin' close an' breathless at
his coward heels. Still, they don't catch up with him; he streaks it
like some saffron meteor.

"'Only once does we approach within strikin' distance; that's when he
crosses at old Stafford's whisky still. As he glides into view,
Crittenden shouts:

"'"Thar he goes!"

"'For myse'f I'm prepared. I've got one of these misguided cap-an'-ball
six-shooters that's built doorin' the war; an' I cuts that hardware
loose! This weapon seems a born profligate of lead, for the six chambers
goes off together. Which you should have seen the Chevy Chasers dodge!
An' well they may; that broadside ain't in vain! My aim is so troo that
one of the r'armost dogs evolves a howl an' rolls over; then he sets up
gnawin' an' lickin' his off hind laig in frantic alternations. That hunt
is done for him. We leaves him doctorin' himse'f an' picks him up two
hours later on our triumphant return.

"'As I states, we harries that foogitive panther for eighteen miles an'
in our hot ardor founders two hosses. Fatigue an' weariness begins to
overpower us; also our prey weakens along with the rest. In the half
glimpses we now an' ag'in gets of him it's plain that both pace an'
distance is tellin' fast. Still, he presses on; an' as thar's no spur
like fear, that panther holds his distance.

"'But the end comes. We've done run him into a rough, wild stretch of
country where settlements is few an' cabins roode. Of a sudden, the
panther emerges onto the road an' goes rackin' along the trail. We
pushes our spent steeds to the utmost.

"'Thar's a log house ahead; out in the stump-filled lot in front is a
frowsy woman an' five small children. The panther leaps the rickety
worm-fence an' heads straight as a bullet for the cl'arin! Horrors! the
sight freezes our marrows! Mad an' savage, he's doo to bite a hunk outen
that devoted household! Mutooally callin' to each other, we goads our
horses to the utmost. We gain on the panther! He may wound but he won't
have time to slay that fam'ly.

"'G