6. The remembrance of my thirty-four unsuccessful nights flashed across my mind; impatience carried me completely away, and, forgetting all prudent resolutions, I pulled the trigger. My gun, a twelve bore, was loaded with 110 grains of powder and twenty-four slugs. The object of my aim fell, uttering guttural roars, at the same time dropping the goat. I had broken the leopard's fore paws; yet it had not seen whence the shot came, and might have thought that the goat had exploded in his jaws.

7. The slightest movement on my part would be certain to attract attention; common sense demanded that the most complete immobility should be observed; but fearing a surprise, I determined to stand up in my hiding-place to see over it, and be the better prepared for results. In rising a branch caught the hood of my cloak and threw it down on my shoulder. This was another of the providential chances to which I owe my life. The wily brute, now alarmed, did not utter a cry or a sound, but fixed its attention on the thicket and listened. A few moments passed, and I, hearing and seeing nothing, thought the foe dead.

8. Crouching, and using every possible precaution, I issued from my shelter, carrying my gun with the barrels depressed and my finger on the second trigger. As soon as I was perceived the leopard made a spring of ten feet towards me. I aimed at its head; but the rapidity with which it came was so great, and the darkness so intense, that I missed, -- my ball entering the ground, and the fire from my piece singeing the hair on its neck. The terrible brute now threw itself upon me, and bore me to the ground in an instant. I fell underneath on my back, with my shoulders caught in the bush that had served me as a place of concealment.

9. First my foe attempted to strangle me, and fixing upon my neck, tore at it in indescribable rage. This was fortunately protected by the collar and thick hood of my cloak. With my left hand I endeavored to defend myself and push off my assailant, while with the right I made desperate efforts to grasp the hunting-knife that lay under me. The former it bit through and through, notwithstanding the woolen sleeve that covered it. It also gnawed my face horribly one of the fangs of the upper jaw tore my forehead and went through my nose, the other fang entered at the corner of the left eye and broke my cheekbone.

:

10. Incapable of resisting with one hand, I abandoned the useless search for my knife, and with my two hands I convulsively grasped my assailant by the neck. It then seized me across the face, and driving its formidable teeth into the flesh, smashed the whole of my jaw. The noise thus caused sounded so painfully that I thought my brains. were being crushed out. My face was in its mouth, from whence issued a burning, infected breath which stifled me. Still I clung to the foe by the neck, which was as large and hard as the trunk of a tree, and at length, with the strength of despair, I was enabled to thrust away its horrible head from mine. It then seized me by the left arm, and bit four times through the elbow. Without the large amount of clothing with which it was covered, it must have been crushed like a piece of glass.

11. All this time I was lying on my back on the extreme brink of the ravine, my legs above and head downwards. The leopard tried a second time to take me by the face. I resisted, but my strength was all but exhausted. Making a movement to better my position, it clutched my head.

Gathering all the strength and determination that yet remained for a final effort, I disengaged myself, leaving my wadded cloth cap in its jaws. I had thrown the brute from me so vigorously that it slipped over the steep slope, and its front paws being broken, it could not check itself, but went roaring and crashing headlong into the ravine.

I re

12. At last released, though not a moment too soon, lieved myself, spitting out four of my teeth and a mass of blood that filled my mouth. Entirely given up to the fury which possessed me, burning for vengeance, I seized my hunting-knife, and not knowing where the brute had gone, sought him on every side, to recommence the struggle (for I did not believe I could long survive my wounds). It was in this position that the Arabs found me. They told me that they heard the leopard quite distinctly, and that its roars made their flesh creep; that they had no doubt as to its combat with me, but that they imagined it roared because of its wounds, so they judged it best not to sally forth until the sounds ceased.

13. The thirst of revenge, and especially the mortification I experienced at not being the victor in a battle which I had sought, dominated me to such a degree that I did all I could to find my antagonist, determined either to kill or be killed. But the Arabs dragged me to their camp, where they tried to bathe my face and bandage my wounds; but I would not allow them, and at once proceeded to the farm of Corso, which I reached at midnight.

BOMBONNEL.

THE PANTHER: LEATHER-STOCKING
AND THE LADIES.

con-sid-er-a'tion, motive, reason.

ex-trem'i-ty, highest degree.
in-vig'or-at-ing, strengthening.
ma-lig'ni-ty, evil quality.

pam'pered, fed luxuriously.
sen'si-bly, perceptibly.
tem'per-a-ment, constitution.

vent, outlet.

1. ELIZABETH TEMPLE and Louisa had gained the summit of the mountain, where they left the highway, and pursued their course, under the shade of the stately trees that crowned the eminence. The day was becoming warm; and the girls plunged more deeply into the forest, as they found its invigorating coolness agreeably contrasted to the excessive heat they had experienced in their ascent. conversation, as if by mutual consent, was entirely changed to the little incidents and scenes of their walk; and every tall pine, and every shrub or flower, called forth some simple expression of admiration.

The

2. In this manner they proceeded along the margin of the precipice, catching occasional glimpses of the placid Otsego, or pausing to listen to the rattling of wheels and the sound of hammers, that rose from the valley, to mingle the signs of men with the scenes of nature, when Elizabeth suddenly started, and exclaimed, "Listen! there are the cries of a child on this mountain! Is there a clearing near us? or can some little one have strayed from its parents?"

3. 'Such things frequently happen," returned Louisa. "Let us follow the sounds; it may be a wanderer, starving on the hill." Urged by this consideration, the females pursued the low mournful sounds that proceeded from the

forest, with quick and impatient steps. More than once the ardent Elizabeth was on the point of announcing that she saw the sufferer, when Louisa caught her by the arm, and pointing behind them, cried, "Look at the dog!

4. The advanced age of Brave had long before deprived him of his activity; and when his companions stopped to view the scenery or to add to their bouquets, the mastiff would lay his huge frame on the ground, and await their movements, with his eyes closed, and a listlessness in his air that ill accorded with the character of a protector. But when, aroused by this cry from Louisa, Miss Temple turned, she saw the dog with his eyes keenly set on some distant object, his head bent near the ground, and his hair actually rising on his body either through fright or anger. It was most probably the latter; for he was growling in a low key, and occasionally showing his teeth, in a manner that would have terrified his mistress, had she not well known his good qualities.

5. "Brave!" she said, "be quiet, Brave! What do you see, fellow?" At the sound of her voice, the rage of the mastiff, instead of being at all diminished, was very sensibly increased. He stalked in front of the ladies, and seated himself at the feet of his mistress, growling louder than before, and occasionally giving vent to his ire by a short surly barking. 'What does he see?" said Elizabeth; "there must be some animal in sight."

6. Hearing no answer from her companion, Miss Temple turned her head, and beheld Louisa, standing with her face whitened to the color of death, and her finger pointing upward, with a sort of flickering, convulsed motion. The quick eye of Elizabeth glanced in the direction indicated by her friend, where she saw the fierce front and glaring eyes