the tail of which I also
severed, as a proof of my prowess. It, however, occurred to me that if
there were many more panthers in the cover, it would be very unsafe to
return alone to where I had left my horse. I therefore made sure that my
rifle was in good order, and proceeded towards the place where the dogs
were still baying. There I beheld another panther, but this time it was
a sport unattended by any danger, for the animal was a very young cub,
who had taken refuge fifteen feet from the ground upon a tree which had
been struck by lightning, and broken off about three yards from its
roots. The animal was on the broken part which had its summit entangled
in the lower branches of another tree.

It was truly a pretty sight, as the little animal's tail, hanging down,
served as a _point de mire_ to all the dogs, who were jumping up to
catch it. The cub was delighted, mewing with high glee, sometimes
running up, sometimes down, just to Invite his playfellows to come to
him. I felt great reluctance to kill so graceful and playful an animal,
but it became a necessity, as no endeavours of mine could have forced
the dogs to leave it. I shot him, and, tying him round my neck, I now
began to seek, with some anxiety, for the place where I had left
my horse.

There is but little twilight in America, in the spring of the year
especially; great was my hurry, and consequently less was my speed. I
lost my trail, bogged myself in a swamp, tore my hands and face with the
briars, and, after an hour of severe fatigue, at last heard my horse,
who was impatient at being left alone, neighing loudly. Though my
distance to the house was only eighteen miles and the road quite safe, I
contrived to lose myself three or four times, till, _en desespoir_, I
threw the bridle on my horse's neck, trusting to his instinct to
extricate me from my difficulties.

It was nearly midnight when I approached the back fences of Mr.
Courtenay's plantation, and I wondered very much at seeing torches
glaring in every direction. I galloped rapidly through the lane, and
learned from a negro that the family had long returned home, and that
supper had been, as usual, served at eight o'clock; that they had been
anxiously waiting for me, and that Mr. Courtenay, fearing some accident
had happened, had resolved to go himself in search of me with the major
portion of his negroes. Leaving my horse to the care of the slave, I ran
towards the house, where the dogs had al