Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-02-08
A Panther Hunt.

Incredible as the following account may
appear to our readers, the incidents rea-
tee are strikingly true, and the hero OF
the tale still walks The earth in a green
old age.
In certain section of our own go,dly
state the first settlers were obliged TO de-
pend, for q part OF their subsistence up
on the wild animals they might take with
the aid of their trusty rifles. Many of
them could eye rifle or take shot of
white-eye (corn whiskey) without blink.
ing; and it is to be regretted that some OF
them have suffered severely from wounds
caused by the latter.
in the autumn, after the leaves had
fallen, as light snow lay upon the
ground, our hero, who rel cjoiced in the
cognomen of "CaP' Calvin shortened J
started, with two companions and d)y,
to spend the afternoon on stll-hunt for
deer. Now Cal was one of that cool
self-possessed, athletic, yet reckless kind
of men, often met with in all new coun
tries; and on training-days, at logging
bees and at raisings, always was ready to
climb sign post or sapling feet foremost,
or walk ridge-pole from end to end
upon his hands, with his heels in the air,
and then. by way of showing that he
was capable Of even greater feats, woald
descend rafter to the plate of the bull
ding IN the same manner. ...
The party did not forget to carry their
canteens well charged, and as they pur-
sued their way into the recess of the
forest, from time to time refreshed the
inner mGn by liberal draughis therefrnm.
Not meeting with any game in their
progress, it was agreed to separate and
pursue the hunt, and if either fired his
rifle, the others were to hasten to his as
slstance. They had not been long sep
Grated, when one of them fired his rifle,
and the others soon came up. The one
who fred had discovered recent track
IN the light snow, which resemblcd a
cats, but nearly as large as man could
make with his hand, by slightly bending
his fingers inward, as in the act of grasp
ing. They knew it to be panther's $
track, and, though the day was far spent,
resolved to follow it, and, if possible to
secure the animal. On they went, plum
ging deeper and deeper into the forest, till
the shades of night gathered around them,
when they came to huge hemlock, and
perceived by scratches on the bark, that
the object of their pursuit was treed.-
1t was too dark to see him through the
foliage, and they dared not fire at random;
they therefore concluded to build a fire
at the roots of the tree and watch till day.
light, when they might secure their pris-
Oner.
Accordingly, the fire was built; and
alter again wetting their throats, they
commenced their nights watch. About
six or eight feet from the roots of the
free lay the fallen trunk of another
Owing to the fatigues of the day and
their experiments with the canteens, as
the night wore away, sleep weighed down
their eyelids, and they sunk into her EN-.
brace. Cal, however, had one eye open
for adventure. The fire had gradually
declined until only few chickering's shot
up at intervals. Hearing a scratching
above his head, he reused himself, arose,
and by the light of the nearly extinguish-
ed fire, discovered the panther, about fif-
teen feet up the tree, gradually descend.
ing like cat. His long tail swung to
anu fro, and as soon as i, came within
reach, Cal seized it with both hands,
shouted TO his companions, and gave it
desperate pull. which brought the pam
ther directly down into the burning en-
bers Bewildered, and taken all aback.
as the sailors say, he started full Jump
round the tree, while Cal, shouting and
holding on to the caudal extremity, fol-
lowed round and round, raising "A fine
dust in the ashes. His companions had
snatched their rifles, and, at safe dis
tance, called on Cal to let 90, that they
might fire without danger of hitting him.
But Cal thought that panther caught by
the tail was worth two running in the
woods; so round they went as before, till
the panther, not liking the ''circus," dar-
ted oil, and just as he was leaping over
the be fore mentioned fallen tree, received
a shot through the heart and fell dead on
the other side. Cal. still retaining his
hold, went over after him, and his com
panlons were duly notified that the ami
NAL was his game. He was of the lar
gest size, measuring over nine feet from
the tip of the nose to the end of the
tail.-Syracuse Union.