The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-11-16
4 GOOD HUaTIs0 STORY.
A. Ea,,.r E..e-...r. . P..sA.r.
fYrom the yick,burx Sensinel.l

Prom the vick,burg Sentinel.
A DEArH SrnuGCi.g WITH BEA4 IA ter
rife encounter between an Indian and bear
Occurred . few days ago up in the Ficinity of
Tomah, Wis. Both the combatanu were
found day or two since in the siledt embrace
Of death, and there 10 probably no living wit.
ness 70 give description OF the horrible
scene. The bear hao been shot in tome vital
part BY the Indian, and the latter, when
found, had his skull crushed = If bi Z power
fol blow. The presumption is, either that it
was Close encounter-the shot and the blow
following in close succession-or ihe Indian
having shot the bear, then approached it in
its death struggles, and received the blow
which terminated his existence. kxcAomge.
When We were in the Yaxoo svAmps last
summer, OH camp and fishing expedition,
We were one day separated from the party,
and found ourselves in wide expante OF open
woods, in what is called IN ..overcup bot
TOM" Far rs the eye could reach there was
not sign Of underground of any description,
and the branches Of the huge trees reached
far out and intermingled with each other.
sun. Not sound broke upon the solemn
stiffness of the scene, save the monotonous
drumming Of q solitary woodpecker, far up on
the dead limb Of . monarch oak.
A feeling of mysterious awe began to creep
over US. only known to those Who have been
lost in the '.pathless woods" Az We we're
treading the gloomy labyrinths of this solems
forest, With rife on shoulder, all at once We
heard . fearful growl resembling distant
thunder, and turning With shaking knees to
The spot whence it came. we saw An immense
panther, some twenty feet of. on the outlying
limb Of q tree His ears we're fiat back on
his head, bis eyes looked like two big Brazil
ian diamonds held under forty gas Jets on
dark night, and his tail moved to and fro with
those nervous syrstions We have seen 10
cat ~ she watched bird.
We shut our eyes-the world turned round,
md we heard the limb shake a. he made
spring at us. We expected the next momen,
10 be worked up into material for panther Cat
lie sprang-and his colossal PROF ortions
alighted within two teet Of US; but when nj.
warm breath was on our cheek, to cur aston
ishment and JOY he came no forther, but, With
every appearance Of chagrin and mor,i6ca-
ton, went back up the tree with his tail be-
tween his legs. Stsggered-but only for q
moment, by the overwhelming joy Of our
escape-we, too, rushed to y tree not far dis
iant, and went up it in double quick, carry
ing our rife with Us.
Having comfortably seated ourselves, we
watched with fearful interest for the mex,
proceeding Of our friend over the way, and
saw With the utmost trepidation that be had
exactly resumed his former position, and hi.
sars and tail were going through the same
movements ~ before. Having finished these
PREDATORY exercises, be made another fearful
leap toward the exact spot where ~ had
heen standing, aud alighted just where he did
before. With similar appearances of mort
icasion, as in the frs, instance, he again
assembled the tree, and going through the
same maneuvres. sprang again. reaching this
time 1t least . foot nearer the spot which We
had occupied. Our fears almost gave way to
establishment rs We sat in the tree and saw
the panther making twenty>six leaps st moth
ing. All ut once right broke in upon US
he nas ashamed Of his first attempt, and had
been all the time procticing al our trucks. He
continued his practice until large buck came
along. With high bead and stately step, and
passed exactly over the spot We had been on
when the panther jumped at us. That very
second the panther leaped upon the deer,
slew it, and ate it in forty seconds BY our
watch. We then shot Mr.. Panther; our
fries Is came to the report ofthe gun, and We
we're not hundred yards from camp.