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 within 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 out,
it struck me with awe. I took off the skin, hung it to a tree, and
securing the cub, I hastened home, having lost my appetite for fishing
or a fish-supper for that evening.

A week after this circumstance, a company of traders arrived from St.
Louis. They had been attacked by Indians, and made a doleful
appearance. During their trip they had once remained six days without
any kind of food, except withered grass. Here it may not be amiss to
say a few words about the origin of this inland mercantile expedition,
and the dangers with which the traders are menaced.

In 1807, Captain Pike, returning from his exploring trip in the interior
of the American continent, made it known to the United States' merchants
that they could