Not a breath of air stirred
the snow-laden boughs; and the wild, gray face of the precipice,
towering above us, seemed to grow awesome in the stillness.

"Looking more closely, we now discerned, partially obscured by the more
recent snowflakes, some broad footprints, as large as old Brindle's
hoofs, leading off along the narrow path between the crag and the pond.
After examining our priming, we followed slowly on these tracks, Skip
keeping close to us, and glancing up earnestly in our faces.

"Very soon, however, the tracks stopped. Beyond a certain point there
were no footprints. Skip whined, almost getting under our feet in his
efforts to keep near us. Suddenly then a piercing scream broke the
stillness, and on a jutting rock, fully twenty feet above us, and in the
very attitude of springing, we saw a large gray creature, its claws
protruding on the ledge, its ears laid back and its long tail switching
to and fro! It screamed again, then leaped down. Zeke and I started to
run back along the path, but both stumbled on the snowy rocks. Next
moment we heard a yell from Skip, then a loud growl. The panther had
seized him; and then we saw it go bounding back up the rocks, grappling
and gathering up the dog in its mouth, at every leap. Climbing still
higher, it gained a projecting ledge, along which it ran to a great
cleft, or fissure, seventy or eighty feet above the path. There it
disappeared.

"Its onslaught had been so sudden, that for some moments we stood
bewildered. Then, remembering our danger, we turned to run again, but
had taken only a few steps when another scream rooted us to the path!
The panther had come out in sight and was running to the place where it
had climbed up.

"Frightened as we were, we knew that it was of little use to run and
both pulled up. As long as we stood still, the animal crouched, watching
us; but the moment we stirred, it would rise and poise itself as if to
spring. We were afraid if we ran that the animal would bound down and
chase us.

"How long we stood there, I don't know, but it seemed very long. We grew
desperate. 'Let's fire,' Zeke whispered; and we raised our old
flint-locks. They were well charged with buckshot, if they would only
go off. The panther growled, seeing the movement, and started up; but we
pulled the triggers. Both guns were discharged. We then sprang away down
the path, but glancing back, beheld the panther struggling and clinging
to one of the lower ledges t