Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1875-09-16
A MAN OF NERVE.
Walking Through the Woods
With a Ireacherous Com
panion.

ence Of wayfarer, travelling wood road
near Olympia, Washington Territory, was
as remarkable as any on record. The
man was speculator, looking out wild
land, and he trudged through the forest,
following the almost unused path formed
by the pioneers in the wilderness. His
mind was devoted to one subject-the
critical examination of the kind Of trees
upon The land about him, and of the
character Of the soil, and he failed to
notice for some tune "pit-a>pat" upon
the dead leaves near him. He at first
scarcely looked down, when he felt
something rubbing against his legs and
heard slight purring sound, but when
he did look hs heart came mp in his
mouth aud a cold sweat started as sud-
denly as though he were suspended by a
weak rope over Niagara. Pressing
itself softly against his legs, twining
about him as he walked, moving its
Aexile body swiftly, but with never a
sound, turning up fierce eyes with some
thing almost like a terrible laugh in
them, was huge cougar. No chicken
was this man in the woods, but his ac-
count of the manrer in which his hat
was raised by his hair is not to be as apo.
chryphal at all. Sleek and supple and
muscular the beast glide about and at
intervals it would come closer again, and
press its body against the legs o! the mar
the light touch making .oosefcsh o
every inch in his form. 1t was terrible
experience. that interview with the
cougar in the forest primeval, and it wa
we'll for the man that his Lervcs were o
the kind to do honor to frontier adven
turer. Steadily pursuing his course will
steps that would falter occasoinally,he KEEP
on, and with bin the beast continued II
treacherous gamboIs. At times It wou i
glide a few PAGES to the front, and rol
over and over in the road and wait 10
the nan to come up, and then it won
circle around him again until th4 impuls
almost too strong to be resisted, woul
come upon him to spring upon the brute
. opposing f,ts to iangs, and ending intol
!, cradle suspense at any risk. The pove
/, meuts of the terrible animal were bl
t as the playing Of a cat with mouse, an
:. the man knew il. The moment came /
d length, when the strain could be borr
no longer, and the man kicked desperate
: at the beast as it Passed him. In
h. instant it bounded in front and crouch'
for a spring, growing hoarseIy and sho'
ing its teeth. The man stopped al
> shouted hopelessly for aid, while q
F cougar did not spring at once but a
peared waiting to crafty its humor
:, little longer. The shout, fOrtunatel
was not in vain.
at There we're hunters and dogs in t
immediate vicinity, as lare fortune wou
: have it, and the hounds dashed sudden
from the covert as the cougar, seel
them, leaped for tree. A lew momel
later the beas. fell a victim to bulle
It. aud the man with whom it had taker
an an stroll was telling his story and trying
.p- restore the normal condition OF
en- nerves by internal applications from
in small flask. TWAS one of the ep'so'
les les whieh turn mems barr gray-one VII
would, doubtless, have brought death
. man with less nerve than the hero
the affair.-Doudqiac Monitor.
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