Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-07-03

miration, when they saw the bears aud pan
theirs which his rife laid low; and be kept
mighty good school. The young learned
great many things of him. I hope none
learned to swear; for once George would
swear little when things did not go right
with him, but he has, I hope, repented and
broken off this wicked habit a long time ago.
But the young ideas Gid learn to shoot, and
any who could put a bullet near that which
George had shot into the ring was privileged
to be on very good terms with him. George
loved fearless and brave heart as he loved
his own child. "
But he was not fond of having neighbors.
He preferred a solitary home far up in the
mountain, and away from all human habita-
tions. So up the mountain he went The
beaten road extended only to within mile
of his home, and we had to push our way
through kind of wood road till we came to
an open space, and there we beheld one of
the most beautiful and commanding sites
which the taste of an old hunter could have
selected. The barn was by the road, and
forty or fifty rods off, in the open field, stood
the house. We saw man chopping wood
in front, and hailed him to know if Mr..
George McMul]in lived there. eyes," was
the reply. "What's your will ?" "My will, :"
l said, "is to put Kate into the stable, and
then go into the house." So in we went,
and found very hospitable welcome
Among the numerous incidents of his life
the old hunter related the following: He had
once just recovered from illness, when he
took his gun and started down into the woods,
thinking that he might see deer and thus
secure saddle of vension. He did not put
on his belt, containing his tomahawk and
knife, for he was not bent upon a hunt ];
though it was the usual custom of the hun
ters to go thus armed and equipped. He
depended on his gun and a small pocket
knife with which he might bleed his game
if he should prove successful.
After proceeding little way he heard
noise like the crashing of tree which had
fallen into the crotch of another and was
shaken by the wind. Pensently he distin-
guished it to be the screech of some animal,
and advancing nearer, he discovered bear
and "A panther fighting; and with curious
eyes, watched the duel. A panther is some
times rather an ugly customer-and so is a
bear "When Greek, meets Greek, then
comes the tug Of war" 1t was so in this
instance. The panther made his attack by
springing about twenty feet upon the bear,
and putting his claws and teeth into its neck
and back. Bruin had no means to lie down,
bring the panther over her, and with her
hind feet to rake the panther down With
powerful claws; whereupon the panther
screeched, and sprang off, beating sudden
retreat to little distance. Then old Bruiu
would right herself up again, and the pam
ther would make another spring upon her
back, aud repeat the process as before. A
panther has been known to spring twenty
four feet at single bound, and at the same
leap to strike a tree twenty feet from the
ground; and, like the cat, it always takes
its prey with spring The old bear was
quite in commotion while dealing with such
an adversary, and stood her ground the best
way she could. How the combat would have
terminated is more than we can tell. Wheth-
er, like some who discharge several rounds
Of blank cartridge at each other and then
shake hands and retire from the field with
honor bright, these duellists would have thus
separated, is mere matter of conjecture
Another force interposed to change the ma
tural order of events, and that was bullet
from the rife of George McMullen, which
struck the panther in the body just behind
the vital part, and therefore only gave him
a severe wound - .....
No sooner did the panther receive the shot
than he left the bear, and thought he would
try George. He rushed upon him with eyes
glistening with rage, and was met with the
dubbed rifle, the steady gaze, and the ter
rible voice of George-who yelled, and, the
neighbors say, swore at the wild beast to
keep him at bay. The panther, to escape
the eye of his adversary, kept coursing about
ten feet off, to gain his back for the purpose
of making spring. But the hunter stood
his ground and wheeled at every turn. 1t
seemed long time, and yet was probably
but short period, when the bear came to
his relief, and drove full at the panther
"Well done, bear" thought George, "Pll
now load my rife" Unfortunately, in his
haste, he put in the ball without having
first charged with powder, though he thought
at the time that all was right.
He had no sooner primed his piece, than
the bear, having driven away the panther,
came at him. His gun flashed; and he then
dubbed it and yelled, as in the former case,
till, hearing a noise, he looked in another
direction, and saw the bears cubs descend
from tree near at hand and make off and
then Bruin took her departure.
The secret was out. The panther wanted
young bear for his dinner, and the old
bear was defending her young; and when
her enemy panther fled, she thought it her
duty to pitch into her enemy man. The
brave old hunter, who had gone into battle
without his side weapons, was quite aston
ished and he thought that either his sick
ness, or that terrible encounter, had caused
some of his hair to assume rather whitish
aspect. In fact, he never was so scared in
his life. He began to think that he had