The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-11-16
How Wilhelm Escaped.

now Wllnelm Escaped.
Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio
were formerly rich in materials of wild
adventure. The vast forests of the re-
gion swarmed with almost every variety
of four footed game, and its numerous
streams and lakes abounded with fish and
fowl, while the pioneer settlers were as
hardy and daring a class of men as ever
pulled boat or set foot on noun
tain. Tribes of Indians, too. roamed and
hunted there, the bravest and fiercest of
the red race.
One of the pioneers of this region was
Hessian named Neuenheyser, a deserter
from that body of troops hired from Ger
many by the British, and sent TO fight
against the Americans in the Revolution
airy war. His descendants still live in the
same part of the country.
His son. Wilhelm, was the hero of this
story. Wilhelm was lumberman, and
being much of the time in the woods, his
encounters with wild beasts were not in
frequent. That he should ever allow him
self to go into the forest unarmed, only
proves that experience itself forgets its
caution.
One day, near the first of June, he had
been peeling the bark from "skid'' of
saw-logs. 4 "skid" means here a row
of logs, laid side by side on cross timbers,
SO as not to touch the ground, but admit
the air and become thoroughly seasoned.
This arrangement, too, makes them con-
venient to load upon slcds in winter. Logs
cut in May or June are easily pealed, for
then the sap loOsens the bark, and when
1t is removed they are left exceedingly
slippery until they dry
The place Of Wilhelm's work was near
the center of valley about mile wide,
with bluff on the west side, and on the
east gentle hills rising from the bank of
small stream. At the foot of the hills
stood mill, and clearing of several
acres had been made around it, in which
were the log houses of several settlers.
West OF the stream, covering valley and
bluff and hills for many miles, was a
dense forest. A narrow roadway had been
opened from the mill to the skid of logs,
but no further.
An hour before sunset, as Wilhelm was
about starting for home, he heard, as he
thought, a woman or child call from the
bluff. He answered, thinking some mem
Der of one of the settlers families had
been out gathering early flowers and win
tergrecns, and had lost the way.
His voice did not seem to reach the ear
of the unseen caller, for in moment an
other more anxious cry came from the
bluff. Again he answered, and again the
cry, until he became so intent on making
himself heard, and finding out the ap-
parent distress, that ..le began, half uncon-
sciously, to walk in the direction of the
sounds. Wilhelm had avery compassion
ate heart, and as he drew nearer, and the
sad cry came to him more distinctly, even
his long experience of forest noises did
not suggest that it could be other than a
human call. Perhaps it was his very ex-
perience that made him venture. He
thought he kne'o.
As he pushed on through the dense
thicket, he became satisfied, from the
singularly pitiful tone, that the owner of
the voice was woman. He even thought
that he could make out the words, "Oh,
am lost! What shall l do?" Then the
cries grew fainter, and ran into a low,
continuous moan.
Stirred to deepest sympathy, Wilhelm
hurried on, keeping keen lookout up the
hillside. He was excited, and had no
doubt now but that he should soon see a
despairing woman sitting helpless on the
ground. He had nearly reached the foot
of the bluff, when suddenly the moaning
voice changed to an appalling shrek, and
ne met pair OF fiery eyes glazing out Of
the bushes on the ledge above him. He
had been drawn into the very jaws of a
panther.
Why he should have permitted himself
to be so deluded he never could decide,
for he knew we'll enough that the wailing
q ia Il 81, =
voice of distressed woman. In fact, SO
perfect is the likeness that the most
practiced ears have been deceived by it,
and woodmen have sometimes neglected a
real human cry for fear of encountering a
panther. Wilhelm could only condemn
himself for not taking his gun with him
In such cases that precautfon is always
| wise.
Never before had our lumberman been
caught so totally unprepared in peril.
at home or on the aw-logs. Aware of his
weakness, he obeyed the first instinct Of
fear. and turned to run. He knew we'll
enough that this course would embolden
the deadly beast to chase him, but what
else could he do?
| Before he had gone twenty rods the
great cat was at his heels, and he almost
felt her savage claws in his flesh. Whirl-
ing desperately around, he now faced her,
and grasping his high coon skin cap by
the crown, Commenced striking at her and
shrieking atthe top of his voice.
| The brute hesitated, crOuched close tc
the ground, turned her head sidewise and
lashing angrily with her tail, stepped
round him at distance of few feet, ev
identity watching her chance to seize him
Her fierce yellow eyes shonc like fire, and
her long red tongue kept tapping hel
jaws, as if she was fancying how he would
taste. No doubt she coveted such sup
per as he would make, for Wilhelm was
plump Dutchman.
The continual movement of the panther
and her intended victim presently brought
| them on opposite sides of small thicket
OF briars, and seeing his opportunity, the
lumberman again started to run. Or
came the blood thirsty beast, pursuing
fierce and close, sometimes in advance Of
him, then at his side, then in his rear, an
parently disturbed by the swinging cap
and looking for better chance to get hole
of him.
Repeatedly Wilhelm thought she wa.
going to spring upon him, and stopped ia
gesticulate and yell at her. The last Of
these poor attempts to fight for his life
gave him little advantage, or probably
he never would have reached place O
safety. As he was roaring and hurlin,
his arms about, he flung his coon ski
cap, and by curious hit lodged it, like ,
muzzle, exactly over the panther's nose
This SO amazed the creature that Will
helm got several rods the start. As soor
as she could shake off the cap, the panther
came tearing after him again, utterinl
screams of rage. But Wilhelm was now
in sight of the logs, and rushed fol
his ak.
At the end of the I'd, the brut,
crouched and leaped for him. 1t seemed
she intended to reach him by two springs
landing first upon the saw.logs, but her,
her instinct failed her. She made no cal
culation for the slippery condition of tn
peeled logs, and as she alighted upo,
them with tremendous force, her feet flew
from under her and let her down sprawl
ing. ,.0~....---
Bruised and evidently discouraged, sh,
tried to spring off, but one of her legs hat
passed through u crevice between the logs
I vA d. n 4 "a