f fine basses, I went away with my rifle,
hooks, and line. I soon found the spot, and was seeking for some birds
or squirrels, whose flesh I could use as bait. As, rifle in hand, I
walked, watching the branches of the trees along the stream, I felt
something scratching my leggings and moccasins; I looked down, and
perceived a small panther-cub frisking and frolicking around my feet,
inviting me to play with it. It was a beautiful little creature,
scarcely bigger than a common cat. I sat down, put my rifle across my
knees, and for some minutes caressed it, as I would have done an
ordinary kitten; it became very familiar, and I was just thinking of
taking it with me, when I heard behind me a loud and well-known roar,
and, as the little thing left me, over my head bounded a dark heavy
body. It was a full-grown panther, the mother of the cub. I had never
thought of her.

I rose immediately. The beast having missed the leap, had fallen twelve
feet before me. It crouched, sweeping the earth with its long tail, and
looking fiercely at me. Our eyes met; I confess it, my heart was very
small within me. I had my rifle, to be sure, but the least movement to
poise it would have been the signal for a spring from the animal. At
last, still crouching, it crept back, augmenting the distance to about
thirty feet. Then it made a circle round me, never for a moment taking
its eyes off my face, for the cub was still playing at my feet. I have
no doubt that if the little animal had been betwixt me and the mother,
she would have snatched it and run away with it. As it was, I felt very,
very queer; take to my heels I could not, and the panther would not
leave her cub behind; on the contrary, she continued making a circle
round me, I turning with her, and with my rifle pointed towards her.

As we both turned, with eyes straining at each other, inch by inch I
slowly raised my rifle, till the butt reached my shoulder; I caught the
sight and held my breath. The cub, in jumping, hurt itself, and mewed;
the mother answered by an angry growl, and just as she was about to
spring, I fired; she stumbled backwards, and died without a struggle. My
ball, having entered under the left eye, had passed through the skull,
carrying with it a part of the brain.

It was a terrific animal; had I missed it, a single blow from her paw
would have crushed me to atoms. Dead as it was, with its claws extended,
as if to seize its prey, and its bleeding tongue hanging