The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1877-04-19
HANGING a PANTHER.

The Doctor told me the story him
self:
"It was about twenty years ago, the
vear after | settled on Big Greek, we
had q good many hogs in the range, and
os one came up missing occasionally,
the old man and myself concluded 10
take n hunt for the bear; as we thought
tbe thief TO be. Que morning, collect
;ro together a number of dogs, we
atortad out to tbs usual feeding ground
of the hogs. All the swamp at that
time was dense canebrake, and 1t was
difficult travelling After going about
mile. we separated, each taking part OF
the dogs. hunted over about mile
more before any trail was struck by the
dogs Some of the young hounds. as
tsev were securing the brake far and
near. then opened. T was Indifferent to
these, but as the old bear-dog, Cesar,
let out in suppressed yelp. more like
a growl than anything else, l saw 1t was
no ordinary game. / shouted them on
and in few moments they had brought
whatever it was to bay. Parting the
cane right and left, I tore on through IT,
until suddenly emerged into small
open space. There the dogs stood
around a bending sapiing, over which
had grown mass of briars and vines.
Approaching them, and glancing up IN
to tree. I saw sight that actually
made my hair stand upon end; the first
and the last time that poetical fact ever
did occur with me. There lay a huge
animal, which seemed at least nine feet
long. ana as large in body rs yearllng.
DAYTIME as it was, its eyes glowed
nmopg the leaves like livid Goals OF fire.
It was slowly and regularly swinging
its stump of tail, and uttering io"'
fierce growls through its grinnlns teeth
It was nearly above me. and not twenty
feet off. On the impulse OF the mo-
ment, raised my gun to fire. The car
failed. i cooked the other hammer.
raised the gun, pulled the trigger, and
that cap failed also. Hastily, reached
NV hand into the pouch for fresh one
The ca -box was gone. | turned to see
what direction it was home; my ldei
was to go after more caps; in the excite
ment of the chase had lost my courses
I was lost; the situation somehow ex
cited my courage; in fact, clrcum
stances seemed to defy my success, ant
l never could take dare. l suddenly
resolved. unarmed as was, to have il
out with the panther, for, though hae
never seen one, I knew this was one; st
going little closer, 1 caught hold OF
vine that ran up the tree and under thu
panther, and gave it'll hearty pull
Thus disturbed, he soon began to slll
down toward the root, and when in
few feet of the ground, leaped oil ant
bounded away, with the whole pack o
dogs at his heels. This increased m.
courage. Dropping my gun, l Kep
nearly at his heels. In less than twen..
rods they bayed him again, this tlne II
corner among some logs. One log 10.
several feet above him. Cutting lonl
heavy club. jumped on this ana tr,e'
to kill him by striking down on ~
head. I might as well have been beat
ing a cotton bale. But it made HIM run
The next time he just backed up againa
tree and stood eyeing the dogs. Ther
we worried him q long time. ! woul'
creep up behind the tree and strike ni1
over the back. As he would turn :
rush at nae, the dogs would snap At "a
legs and make him tSrn to them fCein