present necessities. We saw also many of their foot-prints in this
neighbourhood. Among these we also observed the footprints of a
smaller animal, which we examined with much care, but could form no
certain opinion as to them. Peterkin thought they were those of a
little dog, but Jack and I thought differently. We became very
curious on this matter, the more so that we observed these foot-
prints to lie scattered about in one locality, as if the animal
which had made them was wandering round about in a very irregular
manner, and without any object in view. Early in the forenoon of
our third day we observed these footprints to be much more numerous
than ever, and in one particular spot they diverged off into the
woods in a regular beaten track, which was, however, so closely
beset with bushes, that we pushed through it with difficulty. We
had now become so anxious to find out what animal this was, and
where it went to, that we determined to follow the track, and, if
possible, clear up the mystery. Peterkin said, in a bantering
tone, that he was sure it would be cleared up as usual in some
frightfully simple way, and prove to be no mystery at all!

The beaten track seemed much too large to have been formed by the
animal itself, and we concluded that some larger animal had made
it, and that the smaller one made use of it. But everywhere the
creeping plants and tangled bushes crossed our path, so that we
forced our way along with some difficulty. Suddenly, as we came
upon an open space, we heard a faint cry, and observed a black
animal standing in the track before us.

"A wild-cat!" cried Jack, fitting an arrow to his bow, and
discharging it so hastily that he missed the animal, and hit the
earth about half a foot to one side of it. To our surprise the