and look into the fire while he drew the pictures— and right largely on his imagination for much of the coloring, until he came to the right place— and she would silence him by wondering why he did not take some of them.

Before the fireplace in our house on all special occasions, to answer for a rug, lay the tanned skin of an immensely large panther. Many an hour I have played on this rug, and stuck my fingers into the holes for the eyes. One night I found a hole in the head-piece above the eye. Mother knew that father had killed that panther when quite a young man, and that it pleased him to have it before him near the hearth. One night she started him by asking:

"That hole in the head there, Reuben-is that the place where the bullet went in?"

"Well, well, there is a hole there besides for the eyes. I had almost forgotten. I must tell you about that now, since your name is Louise Blannerhasset, and you are safe. That came about by going a-sparkin'. One night in the break of winter (and this was long before I knew you, my dear, so it will make no particular difference to you) I took my best girl to singingschool. We walked. The place was a mile the other side of her house. Her folks lived across

the hurricane, as we called it a stretch of timber a mile and a half wide, which had been fearfully wrecked with a cyclone. There was no road through it, only a foot-path, to be trailed by those who knew it. It is not necessary to say to you that I was well acquainted with that path."

"Never mind about that; go on with your story," said mother.

"One night I was over there in peach-time. Her mother had filled the lower bureau-drawer with fine peaches; and, after the folks had retired, we went back to that drawer and opened it, but we did not take a peach."

Certainly, certainly, not one. I expect you to say, next, that peaches were always ripe when you went over there. Of course, I understand you now to say that in the latter part of winter these peaches were ripe-"

"No, not that; this was another time. One time I went over and stayed over night, and next morning I forgot to put my vest on with my coat, and had to return for the vest. I stayed over night with the folks in all bad weather; but I had to go in bad weather. Another morning I could not get my boots on. I pulled till I saw stars. It was no use. I had to split them down in front."

"You were certainly a blooming youth. I can partly see now how I happened to get you. But if you make it up as you go along, you will contradict yourself again. What about the panther? There must have been some reality about that."

"O yes; I forgot. A heavy rain had fallen while we were at the singing, and the road was full of water. There must have been twenty places between there and home, where I had to carry her over the water in the road. It was an awful job, I tell you. And she was no midget. She had weight as well as beauty. The last place was a long space of water. I came very near having to put her down in the middle of the pond to get a new hold; but a smart box on my ear reminded me that chivalry without strength in a man was nothing, and I rallied myself to the heroic work of reaching the edge. My ear smarts a little yet. Is it not red?"

"Slightly, yes. But why don't you get to your panther story, some time or other?"

"I was just coming to that. I took my girl home. We did not swing on the gate. There was none. We sat on the front fence a while, and she went in the house, and I started home across the hurricane. To say that I was in a pleasant state of mind is no exaggeration."

"The dictionary has the word prolix in itthat's you, Reuben."

"Yes; but I want to enjoy that side of it as long as posssible; for the other is not so pleasant. The visit had a tragic close. This hurricane was a wild, desolate region. The Indians had not camped here for several years; but it abounded in wild game-such as frequent the upland regions. As I said to you, I was occupied with pleasant thoughts, until my attention was directed to a slight noise, off quite a distance. I was used to noises while passing through the woods, and, for a time, paid no attention to it. Presently there was a scratching in the leaves somewhat nearer. My first thought was that it was my dog come to me; and, if so, he would present himself in a moment. I still paid but little attention. I saw directly that it was some wild animal. It was keeping pace with me about a hundred feet away in the bushes, and it would, now and then, throw the leaves behind it with great vigor. I was not exactly at ease; for I saw it was directing its course by mine. I kept in the path without increasing or slackening my speed. I was unarmed, except an old barlow-knife in my pocket. I was apprised directly of the whole situation. A hideous scream transfixed me. It was not so loud, but it went through me like a

knife. I pushed down my hat, and went on. There was nothing else to do. It was folly to run. It was equal folly to provoke attack. Must I be torn to pieces by this panther? It was evidently hungry. Another scream. Horrors! what a sound! Nature gave the panther its scream to unnerve its prey. What a strange mesmeric power this animal life about us has! I was so helpless in the face of the danger, and with nothing that I could do but walk along the path, and wait developments, that I actually fell to thinking of the fearful power those screams were having on me in spite of my will.

"I had known something of the mesmeric force of animal life since my childhood. I had been entertained and amused by it, but I had never experienced anything like this. I have watched the performances of a snake charming the mother bird-so intently once, that I came under the spell of it. I remember another time having climbed a rafter of the barn to examine a bat; and when I poked him with a straw, he uttered such a horrid and galvanic little squeak, that my nerves let go my muscles, and I brought up twenty feet below in the hay. More than once have my nerves been unstrung by the piercing cry of the rabbit, and in the moment of the cry it has escaped from my hands. The