Testimony as found on the ground and in the tree indicated that the panther was in the tree waiting for game to approach and this buck had come along under the tree and the panther sprang down on its back and overpowered the deer and killed it. The deepest wounds were on the back of the neck where the panther had torn into the flesh with its teeth until death put an end to the suffering of the poor buck. Marion did not hunt for the horses anymore that day and went back home and returned back accompanied by his father and they saved the torn hide and what was left of the venison. It was supposed that after the panther had killed the buck and covered it up it had went up the same tree to wait for more game to approach and it would be treated likewise. The following account was given by A. J. Lee who was born on the head of Long Creek in Searcy County, Ark., October 10, 1848.
Long Creek is a tributary branch of Buffalo and empties into that stream on the south side.
In relating the incident of the panther killing the deer Mr. Lee said that one late afternoon in the year 1873 while he was out alone on Leatherwood Creek in the Leatherwood Mountains hunting for a deer his luck in finding them was not good until he saw two deer coming toward him which was several hours after he had started to hunt earlier in the day. Leather Creek is a rough valley with tall hills and the locality where I was hunting was a wild desolate looking spot. The creek goes into Buffalo which accounts for the rough rugged country along the stream. While the two deer were coming toward me I stopped to wait for them to get in shooting distance. While I was standing there with gun in hand watching the two deer coming slowly along, I was almost startled out of my senses at seeing a monster panther leap down from a stooping tree onto one of the deer which was a three-spike buck.