TIGERS  IN  THE  BUSH.                            169
and restive, he snorted violently, and at last reared,
and refused to advance. I was unable to distinguish
any object in the dark, and still I was satisfied that the
poor animal was not thrown into this state of terror
without some cause. I drew one of my pistols from
the holster, and struck my spurs into the horse to urge
him forward. A frightful mewing then was heard, and
two phosphoric lights blazed at twenty paces from me ;
the mystery was at once solved ; it was a tiger or pan-
ther, or, perchance, a number of these animals which
surrounded me, for my head reeled so that I fancied
that burning eye-balls were fixed on me from every
side. I had but a brace of pistols ; and to wound one of
these animals would have been attended with too much
danger, to kill it would be impossible, owing to the
darkness and the unsteadiness of my aim; I therefore dis-
charged my pistol in the air. My horse, maddened
with terror, became quite unmanageable and started off
at full speed. I kept Avell in my saddle. The panthers
slunk away to a short distance at the report of the
pistol, but they soon returned to within a few feet of
the route. From all this I concluded, whilst galloping
along, that their dens had been inundated, and that I
was in danger every instant of tumbling into some
creek. The croaking of frogs, which was becoming
more distinct as I proceeded, left no doubt on my mind
as to the fact. In a few minutes I heard the splashing
of water about the horse's legs, and I felt the cold
seizing first my feet, and then running up my limbs at
every stride. At last the horse sank in the water up to
his breast, stopped suddenly, and, after that, neither
words, nor blows, nor spurs affected him in the least.
He seemed changed into marble.