Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-05-09
PANTHER HUNT IN PENNSYLVANIA.

esting to readers. That part of thu story where
the relator, after having shot once at the last Pam
ei anu peihg saving OF his lead and powder, climbs
up INTO me Tree 10 see whether his epctny is alive il
what not one IN ten thousand wotrd feel inclined In
venture on. Catching aweasel asleep yvould be mo-
,'"hs 10 H.. The name Of the young man is Sox and
lie relates tie adventure to traveller Who had ho,r "a
some OF the particulars before:
had heard that Sox short titnr bcf;,re had iii
Gu tnree panthcrs in one hunt; bot on inquiry was
toid ey the young man that il was Re himself who
had Killed them. Upon my word, said I, sno one
can call you degenerate son of the great h,,n,cr
Tome SIT down here, and while take NV coffee do
you tell me the whole story of the hun, fem the be-
s"h'n9' On replied he, there IL not much TO be
saiG ABOUT ", so 1t wont take me long To telli.
Inc settlements on the mountain here arc very
scattered and there are no inlrsbi.n. ,;,r cons5c
rabie distance back from the road. I heard ma,
person mad been hunting and said he had seen three
paI'hers; upon winch vent 10 him. and he told me
mat at particular place the Spring Brook about
ten miles from this, he had come across three nan
theirs, and had tried to fire ut them hut coud not a,
his gun 10 90 OF. thought the fellow was coward
mat oy part OF MS story was true, and that lie had
been aftad'to fire at them; bat as knew exactly tho
place which ne described. lfor had been frenien,Iv
there h'n,Hg) thought would eo and seq wi, IN
er there had been any panthers there. 80 started
on next morning With my dog. You know what
terrible ticke of laurel and spruce aud heock there
- about here's well, is bad all the way 70 the
place where the fellow said nc sw the pantbers Al
asst, however got to it, and sure CROUCH the pau
a on
the ground and found where they had killed door
and eaten part il, but knew that after had been
at the place. they would go back TO IL apain for
apenther Will never touch his game second time
" any thing else has been at IL. So marked y HIGH
way they went, and as ii was two DAYS since thew
had been there and did not know how 10 Or miott
5e N the woods IN chase OF them tIouuht il would
De pest 10 go home and get supply of provisions for
a good long hunt and then take fresh start But
as Ii was almost night, struck fire. and laid down
I'LL morning. AS soon il was light started of.
taking my back track 10 90 home, aud had got about
halt way when behold! came ght - the panthers'
tracks They had crossed the path had made in the
snow the day before. I knew they had crossed in
the day time, for il had been warm and the SNOW had
melted a ttle and could easily tell that they had
crossed may path before night So started on the
tracks and followed till almost evening, when saw
light place in the woods and going o il found !,
was on road, about three miles from home
then concluded that 1t wonid be the best way for
me to 60 home that night and get my knapsack of
provisions as intended; for did not know but what
these terrible creatures might keen ne runnnr affar
them whole week; aud was determined. if T one
started them, To give them time 10 rest or kin
game as long as could see to follow them Ia, ,ba-,
20 where they woodland sometimes they lead ono
Il long chase So home l went filed INV knansock
with provisions and started out with that dor tim, -
lying down by che stove there--not the while ono
the spotted one. He is a rood fellow f,- , ,on,Lo-
and likes hunting as well n, do Iy,u no 60, az :,
was day light next morning, ont went. and got on
the track again. where had lett il the evening ha
lore, and followed II al day lo'g up one valley and
down another, over hills and trolSh laf-al s,g,,0
till jus: before sunset, when | came ON n fna -;
which the PaDthers had killed and partly eaten. and
which was sill warm. They had killed him wiere ba
lay lie mad never gotup. He had been living behind
! large hemlock tree which was blown do,vn ard :, -,
reared by the marks in the snow as # ttev boJ 81,
n!n jumped over the tree and seized him in his hs5
They always catch their game by surp,ise T'hey
never make more than two or three Jumps after II
II 1t then escapes they turn off another way 'Tbcy
/ had eaten rs much they wanted Of the bncr nj
AFTER getting their fill they appeared 20 have been in
very good humor; for their marks showed ,vbo-a
they haai played about and Jumped up and down
trees ali AROUND. They did not know who vva a -
them. / had not expected TO come ON tj,en, soo
and had pushed ahead without caution so tia, In,
had heardmy approach; and soon found bv the m
pcarapce OF things, that they have started away
Just when came up; for Instead of keepno o.o,bc,
they had done all day before, they had set off II;
different directions. thought, as it was lust sunset
that had better encamp where was for thew wonld
hardly come back IN the night to claim their buck:
but first thought would look little more ror,d
me to sec which track would be the best 20 fo,lnu -
the morning; and so just went little into the swami
which was close by me. when, only think one Of ;ben,
had been watching all the time and heard him tor,
WhhP ten rods OF me; but the laurel was so thick
that could not sec him. AS soon as he started.
away went the dog after him, full yelp We'll I
stood still, and there wasa glorious threslnp through
the lauro!s when, all at once / heard the pantIsr
take up tree heard his nails strike the bark the
4
| 1t was beautiful and still evening, and ss;d IN
myself have one of you any way. and ran ne hard as
could through the thcket, tumblinr over old looS
and scrambing through the laures Till came to where
Toby was barking and jumping and shaking his IA |.
and looking nightly ckled at having got one of them
up tree Well soon saw the panther at his full
| length up fmb-it was on n very largo hemlock.
did not know well what to do for il was now so lat
that could scarcely the foresight fmy rileand
could not see the notch in the hind sight at ak hut
as knew my gun, thought had better venture n
shot, rather than keep watch at the tree all night and
so drew up, and took the best aim could and fred
away. We'll, the thing never stirred. ] said TO nv
self, sure can't have missed You. However. I'M n
short time saw the motion in his tail. which hung
over the limb on which he lay, and directly aftef
heard his nails grittng the bark and saw his body
begin to slide round the limb, till at last he slunr fair
y under 1t, suspended by his claws; and IN a minute
after, he let 60 bis hold and down he came souse so
nearly dead that when ran keep Toby from layin,
hold OF hm-ior they are terrible things to fight and
will tear dog to pieces in no tmc-f found HIM nm
able TO stretch out claw Knowing that could find
en- 4 iffqtI cflb