Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-06-11
Adventure With n Panther.


The animal had already been wounded
by a rifle ball Having warned the village
slnkaree to keep close behind me with the
heavy spear he had in his hand, began to
follow the wounded panther; but had
scarcely gone twenty five yards, when one
of the beaters, who was on high ground,
beckoned to me, and pointed little below
him, and in front of me. There was the
large panther sitting out, unconcealed, be-
tween two bushes, dozen yards before me.
| could not, however, see his head; and
whilst was thus delayed he came out with
a roar, straight at me. | fired at his chest
with ball; and, as he sprang upon me,
the shot barrel was aimed at his head. In
the next moment he seized my left arm and
the gun. Thus, not being able to use the
gun as a club, | forced it croSs-wise into his
mouth He bit the stock through IN one
place, and whilst his upper fangs lacerated
nv arm and hand, the lower fangs went in
| to the gun His hind claws pierced my
left thigh. He tried very hand to throw
me over In the meanwhile the shikaree,
who, had he kept the spear before him,
might have stopped the charge of the pan
Z llCT. udl ltAEtdlNl SplliC BdiN1o w biaN ANAh-
| He had instead of spearing the panther,
shouted out and struck him, using the spear
as a club In a moment the animal was
upon him, stripping him of my shIkar bar,
his turban, my revolving rifle, and the
spear. The man passed 10y me, holding his
wounded arm. The panther then quietly
crouched five PAGES in front of me. knew
nv only chance was 10 keep my eye upon
him. lie sat with all my despoiled property
stripped from the shikarce, around and un-
der him. The first step | moved back
wards; keeping my eyes on the panther,
fell upon my back into a thick bush, hay-
ing slipped upon the rock. Here | was
still within one spring of the animal, who
appeared, as far as | could see, To be
not at all disabled by the fight. Nothing
could have saved me had he again attacked.
| retreated step by step, my face still towards
the foe, till | got to my horse, and to tn,
other beaters, who were all collected to
gether some forty yards from the fight.
Immediately loaded the gun with charge
of shot and bullet that by chance fount
and taking nv revolver out of the holster
and sticking it into my belt, determined t'
carry on the affair to its issue, knowing how
rarely men recover from such wounds a.
mine | was bleeding profusely from large
tooth-wounds in the arm; the tendons o
nv left hand were torn open, and had fiv'
ciaw-wounds in the thigh. The poor Shi
karee's arm was somewhat ciawed up, ant
, , if the panther was not killed, the supersti
ton of the natives would 90 far to kill thi
, man. Terribly frightened as he was, III
wounds were not So bad as mine. l per
suaded my horsekeeper to come with me
and, taking the hog spear he had in IN
; hand, we went to the spot where lay tn
weapons stripped from the shikaree. :
few wards beyond them was crOuched tn
huge panther. Again, could not sec hi
head very distinctly, but fired deliberatel.
u behind his shoulder in one moment h
was again upon me. gave him the charg
: of shot, as supposed, in his face, but ha'
d no time to take aim. The horsekeeper, in
stead of spearing, fell upon his back. Il
the next instant the panther got hold of N.
= left foot with his teeth, and threw me o.
: any back ! struck at him with the empi
gun. and he seized the barrels in his mouth
This was his last effort. | sprang up, an
seizing the spear from the hOrsekeeper
drove il with both hands through his side
4 and thus killed him. | Immediately ha
= my boot pulled of. My foot bled profusc
o IL. Fortunately, the wound was in tn
thin part Of the foot, and not in the inste
u or ankle; but the teeth had met.
=