The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1857-12-03

R ing around him, about forty rods from
the place where had been brought tC
stahd, revealing monster whose size
, big as l had conjectured it, perfectly a
mazed me. He could not have been
e much less than six feet from snout to tail
l. nor much short Of nine tail included
But for his bowed-up back, gaunter form,
f and hotled color, he might have passed
/ for an ordinary lioness. The instant he
saw me, he began nervously fixing his
paws, rapidly swaying his tail, like a cat
at the first sight of her intended prey, and
giving other plain indications that he was
intent on having me for his dinner.
4 had my rifle to my shoulder; it was
a fair shot, but still l hesitated about fir
ing. My experience with catamounts,
which. though of the same nature, yet no
more to be compared with real panth-
er, like this, than common cur to a
stout bulldog, had taught me the danger
of wounding without killing them out
right. If those were so dangerous under
ordinary circumstances, what would this
be, already bent on destroying mel And
should | stand, at that distance, an even
chance to finish him, which could only
be done by putting bal through brain,
or spine, or directly through his hearth
| thought not. The distance was too
great to be sure of any thing like that;
and beside, my nerves, l felt, were get
ting little unsteady, and | also found |
was losing my faith, which is just the
worst thing in the world for huhter to lose.
While was thinking ofall this, the crea-
ture leaped down, and, the next instant,
| saw his prodigous bounds towards me.
With that glance, turned and ran; as |
never did before; leaping over logs, and
smashing headlong through the bushes,
but still distinctly hearing, above all the
noise | made, the louder crash of the
creatures footsteps, striking closer and
closer behind me. All at once, however,
those crashing sounds ceased to fall on
my ear, and the thought that my pursuer
had sprung one side into an ambush, from
whence he would pounce on me before |
could see him, flashing over my mind, l
suddenly came to a stand, and peered ca
gerly but vainly among the bushes around
me for the crouching from of my foe.--
While thus engaged, seeming shadow
passing over the open space above caused
me to glance upward, when, to my hor
ror, | saw the monster coming down from
tree-top, with glaring eyes, open mouth,
and outspread claws, directly upon me!
With bound, which at any other time l
should have been utterly incapable of ma
king, l threw myself into the bushes Just
in time to escape his terrible embrace;
and, before he had rallied from the con-
fusion caused by striking the ground and
missing his prey, l had gained the dis.
lance of a dozen rods, and thown myself
behind large tree. But what was now
to be done! knew, from his trotting
about and sun0iing to regaing the sight
and scent of me, which could now dis
tinctly hear, that he would soon be upon
me. If l distrusted the certainty of my
aim before this last fright should | not do
it much more now; l felt SO; and, as |
was now within mile of the river, ,-where,
if could reach it, | thought it possible
to find way to battle, at least, if l did
not kill, my ruthless pursuer-I conclu-
ded that my best chance for life was to
run for the place, But, in peering out to
ascertain the exact whereabouts of the
painter before started, my ear caught
the sound Of other and different footsteps:
and the next moment | had a glimps of a
BEARS head, bobbing up and down in his
rapid course through the bushes, as he
ran at ran at right angles, with all his
might, directly through the space between
me and the painter, which, l saw, was
now just beginning to advance towards
me. but which, to my great relief had
seen and was turning in pursuit of the
flying and frightened bear.
But still, fearing he would give up that
pursuit, and again take after me, ran for
the river, which l at length reached, and
threw myself exhausted down on the bank.
AS it happened, | had struck the river
exactly at the intended point which was
where small sand-island had been
thrown up in the middle of the stream
70 this island, in case | kept out of the
claws and jaws of the painter till l reach
ed the river, had calculated to wade;
believing, from what knew ofthe repug-
mace of this class of animals to water, that
he would not follow me, if he did, l need
not fail Of shooting him dead while com.
ing through the stream. But soon found
that / was not the only one that had
thought of this island, in our terrible ex
tremity.
i had lain but few minutes OIL the
bank, before | caught the sounds of near
and more distant footballs approaching
apace through the forest above me. Star
ting up, l cooked my rifle, and darted be-
hind bush near the edge Of The fthe
water, and had scarcely gained the stand,
when the same bear thatI had left fleeting
before the painter, made his appearance.
a few rods above me, coming full jump
down the bank, plunging into the stream,
and rushing amain for the island. AS
soon as he could clear the water. he gal
loped up to the highest, part of his new
refuge, and commenced digging in hot
has.e, a hole in the sand. The instant he
had made an excavation large and deep
deep enough to hold his body and sink.it
4 4 Al L Al. L -. ,