Accordingly, as he
suspected, after having lain a full minute, he now distinctly heard
the retiring tread of the stealthy panther, of which he had no doubt,
from his knowledge of the creature's ways. It had taken but a few
steps however, when it again stopped a longer time; still Wheaton
continued his silent position, knowing his safety depended much on
this. Soon the tread was again heard, farther and farther off, till it
entirely died away in the distance--but he still lay motionless a few
minutes longer, when he ventured gently and cautiously to raise his
head and cast an eye in the direction the creature, whatever it was,
had gone, but could see nothing. He now rose up with a spring, for his
blood had been running from his heart to his extremities, and back
again, with uncommon velocity; all the while his ears had listened to
the steps of the animal on the leaves and brush. He now saw plainly
the marks of design among the leaves, and that he had been covered
over, and that the paws of some creature had done it.
"And as he suspected the panther was the animal, he knew it would soon
return to kill him, on which account he made haste to deceive it, and
to put himself in a situation to give it a taste of the contents of
old smooth-bore.
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