struggles, and his astonishing shirt-collar
becomes as rumpled as his dignity. By the time
she has had it out with Sambo, her black
nymphs reappear, laden with fresh supplies,
which she and they proceed at once to dissect.
"For," says Candace, " the massa and dem
t'other gennelfolks can't spec no more big
vittles dis day; and pretty nigh sundown now."
So in another half-hour the table is replenished,
and the guests sit down to the grilled, broiled,
fried, and otherwise cooked joints and morsels
of the creatures who were so lately rambling
over the prairies, or cackling on Candace's door-
step.

Next morning betimes the same guests sally
forth, armed with weapons of all kinds, an
organised caravan, with their two hundred dogs,
their provisions, attendants, and camp equipage.
The grand object of their day's or week's sport
may be to " bag" a score or two of deer, to
catch mustangs, to kill bears, or to entrap
panthers. Among the mongrel hounds are
probably some whose peculiar talents tend towards
the smaller game. The masters make a virtue
of necessity, and acquiesce in anything. All
comes under the head of " sport." Day sport,
night sport, sport fierce and sport gentle; dogs
for each sort of sport, and game for all.

Of the savage animals that venture near to
habitations, the agile and vicious wild cat is
perhaps the most to be feared. It is very large
and fierce, and bold in its attacks. One day
our host was riding, unarmed, but close to his
home, when he was attacked by two wild cats
that sprang out of the wood by which he was
passing. With a swift sharp cut of his whip
he sent the smaller one, apparently only half-
grown, back to the woods, just as the larger
was about to make a spring at him. Without
pausing he glided off his horse on the side away
from the wood, ran to pick up a stout stick, and,
turning quickly, saw the fierce creature already
sitting upon the saddle, grinning viciously, and
preparing for another leap. The spirited horse
did not know what to make of his strange rider,
and showed signs of impatience. His master,
with a few words of encouragement quieted
him, while he himself stood, club in hand,
watching the movements of his assailant. As she
still sat on the saddle, the general rapidly picked
up some clumps of wood, advanced, and hurled
them at her. This aggravated, without injuring
her. Snarling and spitting all the while, she
leaped towards him, rearing herself upon her
hind legs so as nearly to reach his face. The
general did not loosen his hold of the club, and
at the angry beast's next spring, received her
with a blow that sent her reeling back.
Instantly recovering her feet, the infuriated
creature sprang high towards him, as if with the
intent to bound on his shoulder. The gentleman
again hurled her off with his club, and
again she flew at him. A fierce combat ensued:
the extreme rapidity of motion, and the long
springs of the savage brute, rendering her a
dangerous antagonist. The contest lasted
several minutes, but by repeated and successful
blows, the tenacious animal became less and
less able to spring, and at length, of course,
was killed. As for me, I used a woman's
privilege to keep out of the way of danger, and
had no sort of adventures. Unless hearing a
wild cat and being alarmed thereby, be one.

On returning from a walk, in which a little
boy, Caesar, had been my attendant, I had come
within sight of the negro quarters, when I heard
a loud and singular screech from a wood
bordering the cotton-field in which we were.

"What is that noise?" I asked the boy.

"That's a wild cat, that is!" And he looked
askance, to measure with his eye the space
between us and the woods.

Our path lay rather towards than from the
part whence the yells came. I stopped a
moment to consider whether it would be better
to go on, or to wait and call for assistance
from the cabins. The boy watched my face
with an evident suspicion that I might be
considering whether a wild cat wasn't a thing to go
and look at.

"That'll bite you ef you go thar. BITE.
Oo— oo— ff—- " drawing up his huge lips with
a grotesque mock shudder.

"Where is she?"

"Hers in dem woods over yon. A comin' to
Aunt Peggy's. Her steals Aunt Peggy's meat,
an' her chickens; she do." .

"Are you afraid of it?" I asked.

"No— n— oo," said he, contemptuously, " I
runs."

Partly reassured, I asked, " Will she fly at us
if we go past there?"

"She— e can't fly," said the child, compas-
sionating my ignorance. " She run— ns."

I stood corrected for my figure of speech, and
said, " Then I must run too."

Upon this Caesar looked up with an incredulous
and amused expression, and said, " Ken
you run? Ken— you— run away from a wild
cat?"

"Yes; if I try, I can."

Caesar looked still more puzzled and unconvinced,
and as we walked on he muttered, " She
can't ketch me. I'd outrun her"

Keeping my eyes towards the woods, I
hastened to reach the gate of the field near the
cabins which we had to pass, but Cæsar
continued to ponder and to murmur, " I runs.
Run— ns," as if he thought I had not fairly
comprehended the nature of the feat.
"Ru— n— ns," glancing into my face to see
whether he might venture to show what he
meant by running. "Run— n— ns" he
repeated, clenching his fists aud raising his elbows
in a threatening manner, as his eyes were fixed
on the gate. " R— r— r " He drew a long
breath, screwed up his thick lips to keep it in,
and off he set. The temptation for display was
too strong. He did run; or fly, or spin, or
whirl, arms and legs everywhere. The spokes
of a wheel were nothing to him. Then finishing
off with some incomprehensible summersault,
he righted himself at the gate, and turned
round with a face which plainly said, " That's