The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-12-30

somewhat differently from t,Ee manner
in which he went to sleep. lsn reflect
ing moment, he found he entiEe-
ly covered over, head and $s1s with
leaves and light stuff, as he z.
posed. either b5zsslis saezsfsaeif Blowing OF
wind or some wild animal. On which
account he became little disturbed in
his mind, as he well knew the manners
of the. panther at that season of the
year, when it hunts to support its
young, and will often cover its prey
with leaves and bring its whelps to the
banquet. He therefore, continued to be
perfectly still, as, when he first awoke
he thought he heard the steps of some
kind of heavy animal near him; and
knowing if it were a panther, the dis
lance between himself and death could
not be far if he should attempt to rise
up. Accordingly, as he suspected, after
waiting full minute, he now distinctly
heard the retiring tread of a stealthy
panther, of which he had no doubt from
his knowledge of the creatures ways.
1t had taken a few steps, however, when
it again stopped longer time; still
Wheaton continued his silent position,
knowing his safety depended much on
this. Soon the tread was again heard,
farther and farther off, until it trieleny
died away in the distance-but he still
lay motionless few minutes longer;
then he ventured gently and cautiously
to raise his head and cast his eye in the
direction that the creature, whatever it
was, had gone, but could see nothing.
He now rose up with spring, for his
blood had been running from his heart
to the extremities and back again with
uncommon velocity all the while his
ears had listened to the steps of the ami
NAL on the leaves and brush. He now
saw plainly the marks of design among
the leaves, land that he had been covered
over. and that the paws of some crea-
ture had done it.
And if, as he suspected, a panther was
the animal, he knew it would soon re-
turn to kill him, OH which account he
made haste to receive it, and put him
self in a position 10 give it a taste of the
contents of the old SmoOth-60re. He
now seized upon some pieces of old
wood which lay about and placed as
much as would be equal to his bulk,
exactly where he had slept, and covered
it all over with leaves, in the same man
ner the panther had done, and then
sprang to a tree near by, into which he
assembled, from whence he had a view a
good distance about him, and especially
in the direction the creature had gone.
Here in the crotch of the tree he stood,
with his gun resting across his limb, in
the direction of the place where he had
been left by the panther, looking sharp
ly as far among the woods as possible,
in the direction he expected the crea-
lures return. But he had remained in
this position but a short time, and hard
~ TIN ust the ramrod down the barrel of
his piece to be sure the charge was in
her, and to examine her printing, and
shut the pan slowly SO that 1t would not
snap, and thus make q noise, when his
keen Indian eye, for such he had, caught
glimpse off monstrous panther, lead
ing warily two panther kittens toward
her intended supper.
Now matters were fastening to eli
max rapidly, when Wheaton or the
panther should finish their hunting on
the mountains of the Susquehanna, for
if old Smooth-Bore should flash in the
pan, or miss his aim, the die would be
cast, as second load would be impossi-
| BILE ere her claws would have severed
| his heart-strings in the tree where he
| was, or if he should partially wound
her, the same must be his fate. During
these thoughts the panther had hid her
| young under some brush, and had come
| within some thirty feet of the spot
| where she supposed her victim was still
| sleeping, and seeing all as she had left
/ u
| ton, precisely as a cat when about to
| spring on its prey. Now was seen the
| soul of the panther in its perfection
merging from the recess of nature, hid
| den by the creature, along the whole
nervous system, but resting chiefly on
the brain, from whence it glared in
bright horror, from its burning eyes,
curled in its strong and vibrating tail,
pushed out its white, illiptical fangs,
| from its broad and powerful paws, its
hot breath glittering on the point of its
uncovered teeth, and smoked in rapid
| issues of steam from its red and open
jaws, while every hair of its long dun
back stood erect in savage joy, denoting
that the moment of its fatal leap had
come.
Now the horrid rustling of its hinder
claws drawn under it's belly was heard
and the bent ham-strings were seen by
Wheaton from where he stood in the
tree, when the tremendous leap was
made. 1t rose on long curve into. the
air about ten feet in the highest place
and from thence descending, it struck
exactly where the breast and bowels o.
its intended prey had lain, witha scream
too horrible for description, when i
tore to atoms the rotton wood, filling
for several feet above it the air will
the deception. Butinstantly the panth
er found herself cheated, and seemed Il
droop a little with disappointment
when, however, it resumed its cree
! posture, and surveyed quite around oil
every side a horizontal line, in search o
its prey, but not discovering it, she cas-
furious look aloft among the tops o
the trees, when, in n moment or tw'
the eyes of Wheaton and the panthe
J met. Now for another leap, when shl
droope,l for that purpose but the bulle
was off, and two buck-shot of the oil
smooth-bore were too quick, as he lodg
ed them exactly in the brain of the say
: age monster, and stretched Der on tn
: spot where the hunter had slept but
short time before in the soundness of
!, mountain dream.
He had marked the spot where he
young were hidden, which at the repor
= of the gun were frightened and ran u
? a tree. Wheaton now came down AM
, found the panther to measure, from tn
end of its nose to the tip of its tail, eigh
feet six inches in length, creature sui
ficiently strong to have carried him Of
5 on full run, had he fallen into its pow
er. He now reloaded and went to tn
tree where her kittens or young panthe
were, and soon brought them dow
= AhOAn thC4A N1C I4Aln'
companions for their conquered an
slain parent.
n Wheaton dismantled them of thei
: hides and fastened away, lest some 9th
; er recontre, before night should set il
Y might overtake him of similar charaC
4 ter, when the disadvantage Of the darh
t ness might decide the victory in NOR
: advantageous manner to the roamers {
4 the forest. OF this feat Ben Wheato
! never ceased to boast; recIting it as til
: most appalling passage of his huntin
= life. The animal had scented him viii
a asleep, and had found him as he suppo
It ed, intending to give her young a spec
q men of the manner of their future lif
or if this is too nauch for the mind of
n dumb animal, she intended at least
o give them q supper.
II This circumstance was all that saws
a his life, or the panther would have lea
e ed on him at first, and have torn him
q pieces, instead of covering him wi
Re leaves, as it did for the sake of b