The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-09-25

For several mornings, just after day-break,
two hunters, who had located their cabin
on the banks of Stewards creek, in the
heart of the Kentucky wilderness, were
aroused by the shrill scream of a panther,
seemingly close by. 1t was at length deter
mined to hunt the animal, though one of
the men declared his belief that it was an
Indian ruse, by which they were to be drawn
into an ambush. However, the fourth
morning they quietly arose, seized their II
hes, and taking separate paths, SO as to APP
proach from different directions, started to
'stalk" the catamount.
Unfortunately it proved to he as the hunt
er had feared. 1t was an ambush, laid by
four warriors, and the pioneer who first ar
rived in reach of the concealed rifles fell
with bullet through his heart. phe other
was, for the moment, more fortunate.
Hearing the sound of firing, and realizing
what the odds against him were, he turned
and dashed away through the underground,
taking course directly away from the
cabin, in hopes Of saving it from destruc-
ton. But two Of the Indians, however,
followed him, while the other two after Sc
curing the scalp of the unfortunate hunter
who had fallen, made at once for the cabin,
to which, after plundering it of all that was
valuable, they applied the torch, and it was
soon consumed. In the meanwhile Hum
phries-such was the hunters name-suc-
ceeded for two or three miles in maintaining
his lead, and would probably have shaken
them off entirely but for an untoward acci
dent. In attempting to leap across a small
stream, the banks of which were steep and
high, he missed his footing, and only by a
powerful effort prevented himself from be-
ing hurled to the bottom
As it was, he found that he had strained
his knee to such an extent as to render it
almost matter impossible to further con-
tinue his flight. But life is great stake to
struggle for, and although suffering the
greatest agony, yet Idmphries continued to
keep Slightly ahead of his pursuers. At
length, after descending quite hill, he en-
tered upon a level bottom, at the other side
of which ran a stream, the banks of which
were thickly lined BY heavy canebrake
Toward this he ran with what little strength
there was left in him, and reached the edge
of the brake only to find that it was 50 dense
that he could not, at any point near by, find
a place of entrance. Turning off to his
right he found where a large poplar tree
had been blown down, falling directly into
the cane, and reaching entirely across the
bed of the creek. Upon this he leaped, ran
along the body Of the trlnk and then see
ing chance for a moments hiding, be
leaped down into the water beneath, and
drew up under the bank, where the bushes
were heaviest.
Hardly had he succeeded in this when he
heard the Indian spring upon the log run
rapidly forward few PAGES, and then utter
a shrill whoop of surprise or exultation
The keen-cyed red-skin had seen him as he
crouched amid the flags and young cane.
Another instant and his enemy would have
been upon him, tomahawk in hand, when
suddenly new actor appeared upon the
scene. A deep, angry roar, rather than a
growl, broke upon the silence, and with
open mouth and eyes flashing with rage, an
old she bear, closely followed by her two
cubs, dashed across the log and fastened
herself upon the now frightened Indian.
The fight upon the log was of short dura-
ton, and after few fierce struggles the two
combatants pitched over and fell, locked in
deadly embrace, into the water below.
What had become of the other Indian
Humphries knew not, but finding that he
did not appear, he crawled out upon the op-
poste bank, and leaving the redskin and
his shaggy opponent engaged in a struggle
for life or death, he made all possible haste
to reach the block-house. some three miles
distant. This he succeeded in doing, and,
the next morning, returned to the scene of
action at the creek Neither bear nor In
dian was to be seen, though the torn and
bloody condition of the bushes ON the bank
told how fearful the combat must have
been. Humphries was, on the whole, well
satisfied, and for many years boasted that
he was probably the only man in the wilder
ness whose life had been saved by bear.
The English Language,