The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-04-30


One winter evening not long ago as
we were sitting around our fireside
we heard faint human, shout
"That sounds just like panther's
scream / heard once" said father,
"and never want to hear oneso close
again, either"
"Oh, tell us all about it," we chill
dren said, crOwding around him.
"Well, maybe you don't know it,
but 1t Is o,..that a panther can scream
Just like man, and / and your three
uncles were 80 badly deceived by one
once that we were almost caught by
it. Ny father had removed from
Maryland to a thinly-settled part of
Ohio, our nearest neighbOr being
about four miles off. Deer, wolves
and red foxes were tolerably plenty
at first, and not unfrequently a
painter scare was got up. i well re-
member my first scare, of which /
just now spoke. 1t happened during
our second year there. We had just
commenced our spring work.
lone day father sent US boys, four
in all, out to break corn-stalks. We
worked well for about an hour, when
getting little tired and anxious to
get out OF the work we went down to
a nice cool spring about quarter of
mile off. OF course we did not drink
much, but after staying good while,
as we were starting to go back, we
heard faint shout, like the one you
ust now heard, apparently several
miles away.
That's one of the Tiltons or Sy-
piers said Sam; let's wait and see
If he's coming this way So we an
swered, and waited. The next time
the sound was much nearer. We an
swered till 1t came from, the other
side of big hill not far of. Now he
must have come pretty fast to be here
already said Ben.
"'I tell you what, I don't believe
1t Is man., said Sam "a man. doesn't
hallOo that lOud.'
"'What is it them said we getting
scared.
"'They say that a "painter"
screams Just like man. said he, 'and
/ believe 1t Is one. There was one
seen up the river. not long ago, and
maybe this is It,
Il guess we had better be getting
out of this, them Ben suggested.
"Of course we lit out at once for
the corn field, hoping to get there be-
fore we were seen. We had got
nearly to the corn when we not ONLY
heard but saw the beast coming over
the hill. had never before seen a
panther, but knew this was one,
because had heard 30 much about
them. The beast did not at first see
us, SO we thought we could reach the
corn.
IF we had lain down there we
might not have been seen, but we
were pretty well scared and kept on.
The panther stopped moment to
look around, and imagine our feelings
when he glanced our way and, with a
bound, started after ns.
"What were we to do: We were in
the farthest part Of the field from the
house, and here was q savage beast
just after us that would not hesitate
to tear us to pieces. 1t seemed folly
to start to run for the house, but as
that was the only place of protection
we started, thinking help mightco
10 meet us. We made slow progress
to what the beast behind us did. He
was nearly upon us before we were
hall way. Already we smaller boys
were about given out, but we knew
our lives depended ON our running.
The panther was close behind us. Ben
had got so warm that he threw off his
coat. When the panther reached it
he stopped to examine it, so we gain
Ell in this way several rods. Here,
then, was a discovery. We could
throw off our loose clothing and pos
sibly reach the house. Coming to
the top of the hill not far from the
house we thought we heard the bay
Ing Of hounds. What did it mean ?
We had no hounds, so it must be
hunting party. And SO it was, for in
a few. seconds pack of hounds APP
peared, followed by a party of hunt
ers, father among them.
"Our loose garments were by this
time nearly gone, but we stripped off
all we could, and in few minutes we
had the pleasure of seeing the dogs
dash past us. The panther would not
come any further now, the hounds
having reached him, so we sank ex-
hausted to the ground to wait for the
hunters. They soon came up, and
after some difficulty succeeded in dis
patching the panther, but not till af-
ter he had killed three of the dogs
You can well imagine the Joy we felt
at our sudden deliverance, for even If
we had reached the house there still
would have been great danger.
Yes, we were saved, and the ami
mai Which had given us such scare
lay stretched on the ground. It
seems that this party had started out
that morning after the same panther
that gave us chase. They had come
to our house for father, and while
there, heard the panther out in the
field, and of course lost no time i'm
coming to our relief.
AFTER telling our story to the men
we went back for our clothes which
we threw of. We found them much
torn and mutilated, and some all in
shreds. After that adventure / was
always very careful about answering
far-away shouts. Prairie Farmer.