, 1852-10-23
FOR TIE " coLUMBIAN."
Adventure in the Forests Of Puget
Sound Five Years ago.

Peinc led by curiosity, and desire for
r,w discoveries, concluded, one fine after
,o,n about the latter end of May, lS47, TO
tke ramble back through the woods To-
wards the eastern part of my claim, hoping
thereby TO find a prairie-the land along the
leach. with the exception Of small spot on
Inc noint, being covered with heavy growth
n fir. cedar, alder, and other species of tim
her so abundanlly found along ;ho shores OF
Budd's Inlet. After giving some instruc-
tiops TO Nike and JESS, 1.-TWO remarkably
lazy Indians then in my employ, and hav-
inc provided myself with pocket compass,
sci out in high spirits, feeling assured that
would make some great discovery before
returning.
had Travelled probably three-quarters of
a mile when | came upon large body ol
rich level land, even more densely covered
with timber than the land about the bay,
having at the same time a prolific crop Of
under growth, such as tue raspberry, the
salal, the thimble berry, the hazle, and the
everlasting fern-altogether forming a bar
rer next TO impossible to any living thing
except the natural inhabitants of the forest.
while / was slowly working my way
through this hateful thicket, my attention
was suddenly attracted towards a singular
looking object that came within the range
of nv vision Just as | mounted the trunk Of
large fallen fir, when TO my infinite hor-
ror | saw standing directly before me, not
more than ten PAGES off, one Of the largest,
uglesi, and most ferocious looking panthers
that ever beheld. My blood run cold
my: limbs were paralized as one under the
influence Of the nightmare. ! could not
speak could not move. ! was chained
to the spot without even the power 10 look
away from the dread monster. All the
holrid stories ! had ever heard or read
about the savage nature Of this vicious beast
passed in rapid review before my excited
mind. Finally recovered the use Of my
limbs, My first thought was 10 try leg
bail, and risk my chances on foot race.
This, however, my reason voted down as
worse than madness. Look at it in the most
favorable light that l could, there was not
even the probability Of chance 10 save my
sellby fight Certain destruction appeared
inevitable. could fancy his terrible claws
already at work tearing the flesh piece meal
from my body. In a fl of reckless despera-
lion, made bold by circumstances, l grasp
ed the first stick that lay within my reach
and advanced rapidly towards the panther,
shouting and brandishing the stick until
came up within about two feet of where he
sa! apparently in the very act of making
spring, when, in the twinkling of thought,
this horrible panther--the largest of his
kind-was transformed into a quiet, mof-
tending old stump. This sudden change in
appearances so affected my nerves, which
for the last few moments had been stretched
10 their utmost tension, that | found it ab-
solutely necessary to take little rest. In
trying 10 scat myself, some how or other
lost my equilibrium and rolled very natural
ly of the log into large hornets nest. This
last important fad was soon revealed 10 me
by some of the inmates of said nest. did
not wait for ceremonies, but took myself of
as fast as possible.
| arrived at tho camp in rather less than
one quarter of the time occupied in going
out, highly gratifed TO think that instead of
being eaten by panther, had only receiv-
ed dozen or so pretty good stings from the
hornets, and actually ruined the only decent
pair of pautaloons Oh Dudd's Inlet.
PERIG.