Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-04-14

vancing nearer, he discovered bear and a
panther fighting; and with curious eyes watch
ed the duel. A panther is sometimes rather
an ugly customer-and so is a bear. sWhen
Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug of
war; 1t was so in this instance. The pan
ther made his attack by springing about twen-
ty feet upon the bear and putting his claws
and teeth into is neck and back. Bruin had
no means to repel this attack but to lie down.
bring the panther over her, and with hel hind
feet to rake the panther down with powerful
claws; whereupon the panther screeched and
sprung off, beating a sudden retreat to little
distance. Then old Bruin would right herself
up again, and the panther would make anoth-
or spring upon her back, and repeat tire pro-
ceas as before. A panther has been known to
spring twenty -four feet at a single bound, and
at the same time leap to strike a tree twenty
feet from the ground and, like the cat it
always takes its prey with a 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. Whether, like some who discharge stsy-
eral rounds of blank cartridge at each other
and then shake hands and retire from the field
with honor bright, these duellSts would have
thus separated, Is Q mere matter of conjecture.
Another force interpOscd to change the natu-
raj order of events, and that was a bullet from
the rife Of George McMullen, which struck
part, and therefore only gave him 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
giistening with rage and was met with i club
bed rifle, the steady gaze, and the terrible
voice OF Gcorge-whO yelled, and the neigh
bors say, Swore at the wild beast to keep him
at bay. The panther 10 escape the eye of his
adversary, kept courSing around him about
ten feet of to gain his back tor the purpose of
making Il spring. But the hunter stood his
ground and wheeled ct every turn. 1t SEEM
ed long time and yet was probably but a
short period, when the bear came 10 his relief
aud drove full at the panther. Well done
bear, thought George. I'll now load my rifle.
UniOrtu1ateiy in his haste, he put in the bail
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
ciubbed it and yelled, as in the former case,
till hearing noise, he looked in another di-
rection and saw the bears cubs descend from
a tree near al hand and make off; and then
brUin took her leave.
The secret was ont. The panther wanted
young bear for his dinner, and the old bear
was defending her Young and when the enc
my panther fed, 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 astoniShed and he
thought that either his sickness, or that terri
Die encounter, had caused some Of his hair to
assume rather a whitish aspect In fact, he
was never so scared in his life. He began to
think that he had lived throi gh the measles
only to be eaten by panther, and his bones
picked by bear. But he escaped as he did
on several other occasions, which it might
weary the reader tor nae now to relate. l re-
joice to say that he is still living, a hale old
man.