True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-04-09

HIooraw = exclaimed Johnson. with
grrat aniAation; 1--we heard tell of that
before, hut never see it m, self. lis
rare hing ,ha' bear knows enough to
cover her shoulders from the spring Of
panther
The panther now appeared, bounding
down the hill side and along the valley
like II cal, occasionally smelling The earth,
and !ashng up his wrath with his tail,
and tearing The sappIings and The trees IN
The exhibition Of his wild and furious an.
tics. lie approached with caution. and
il was some little time before he discover.
ed the portion of his enemy. When he
had sufficiently connoilered, however,
he bounded with inronceivable agility to
ward her but when i, seemed thai the
next spring would have brought him on
his foe, he suddenly changed his purpose,
wheeled and threw himself upon the body
Of branching OAK near at hand, which
he assembled with the ease and agility Of
a cat, aud planted himself upon a large
limb which extend, d in the direction Of
his fortified antagonist.
The bear, meanwhile, kept her posi-.
lion with admirable composure. She
lay in lhe trough, with her legs resting
on her body, as perfectly motionless as
though she had been dead. The panther
ev, her ketnly for a moment, whipping
hl, sides with his nng tail, when. se,'Iing
closely TO ,heHimh ON which he sal, with
leap he appeared midway in the air
j; coming down upon her. Then The body
of The bear seemed to shrink into half lis
size, ile surface ef her paws expanded
showing the rows of fearful weapons with
which nature had armed her, while her
legs were contracted to the utmost, H.
uive spacp for a more effective stroke
She received her terrible opponent on her
breast and sent him back many feet into
the air, with force liile inferior to that
of his descent. lie struck on the ground
like log. and for lime seemed stun
ned but soon dragging himself to hls
feet he gave a startling yell, and with
IiuIe abatement, Of his former agility re
gained his position on the tree. There
he remained fur some minutes ~ recover
himself. or. perhaps in doubt as To the
pnicy of making another assault upon an
enemy whose artificial system Of defence
had placed him on very unequal ioollng.
r But shortly. again, he sprung forward,
like an embodied thdnderboli, his claws
and Jaws ex ended, and his eyes flashing
with rage. The bear received him as be.
fore, hut not, in some respects, with equal
surctss. The panther had descended
nearly head. fnrmost, and before her ieeI
could bear against his body, he had grap-
pied her hrual with his teeth. Still The
struggle was hut momentary. The greal
strength Of the bear, together with her adj
> vantagrnus prsi'ion, enabled her to force
y her antagonist from his hold; but $" te'
nacious was h's grasp, that her Whole
power only suffice d to throw him from
her. He sank on the ground evidently
:. exhausted, If not disabled, and lay fol
:, sume minutes without attempting 10 rise
while dark red spots were plainly discer
if nable, as they rapidly enlarged ON his ab
, domcn and breast.
During The Litter part of the conflict
Johnson and his party had emerged iron
the bushes which previously concealed
them, and now slond unnoiiced within
twenty yards of the combalants.
). Hugh said Johnson, lets end th'
creatures, and pu, them out Of their mis-
! cry. I'll take the panther, and do yo'
lei drive into the bears heart. Mind All,
i. aim low
W But at that instant the fading hut sill
b. terrible eye Of the panther caught tn
hears whelp, which till ,l,en had stoo
If disrtgardtd, few PAGES behind its dam
is Partially raising himself, the dying bl
unconquerablc animal collected his wan
a ing F,reIgth, and with bound c'eare
ct the mother and grappled with her cub
. The young one mad. hut a feeble resis
ID ance; it sent fnrlh a cry f,r help. an
Id ,hatcry was its last while exul'ing !
II his revenge, the pan her crushed his bnAe
u between his jaws, aud raising il in hi
rs claws, shook !, aloit and as lis moth,
* came up 70 ,heTeseue, threw i on u