The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-02

courage of despair turned and attempted
| TO reach her cabin with the precious burden
| she bore.
In vain !! all in vain Uttcrlng fierce
cry, the panther raised himself upon his
| haunches-hs fore paws dug deep into the
matted grass--a wild, maddencd snort, and
his claws were buried in the shoulders of
the helpless woman! Flinging Maggie upon
the fragrant heaps of mountain heather,
which grew everywhere in rich llxuliancc,
Mrs. Glenn prepared herself for the dcsper-
ate and unequal struggle. Unequal indeed,
for what was the strength of frail woman,
opposed to the fury of raging panlher9
Already the, fangs of the animal were
fastened with an iron grip upon her left
arm; the blood flowed in torrents down
her disordcrcd garments; the pain she suf-
tcrcd was past all mortal conception, and
yet, in that fearful hour, the courage of
Martha Glenn did not fail her. A blessed
thought flashed across her mind-sllc seized
with her unconlincd right hand the strong
cord which tastcpcd to her waist the long,
sharp-pointcd shears, which were then
deemed necessary to the toilet of every
housewife. The glittcring steel flashed
bright in the sunlight, and with one power
tul effort She drove the instrument to the
handle i'll the throat of her assailant.
Ills cries of pain and rage were appalling
and his teeth closed together through the
flesh of that torn and mutilatcd arm! Not
then did Mrs. Glenn yield With certain
death for herself she would still save her
child, and with desperate and determined
bravery, she plunged the shears again and
again into the neck of the infuriatcd beast.
The combat grew terrific! Groans and
howls filled the air, and Maggie shrunk be-
meath an overhanging rock, and hid her
little face in her apron.
At length, by lucky movement on the
part of Mrs. Glenn, the panthcr's entire
throat was cleft IA twain, and unloosing his
hold, he rolled upon the ground in parox
ysm OF agony. Over and ovcr-raising the
dry, gray dust in clouds, in the struggle
with death. 1t lasted but a little while
there was convulsivc twtching of his
strongly defined musclcs-a grating of his
ponderous jaws, dying out of the light in
his fiery eye, and he lay still and notion
lcss-DEAD
Though faint, and almost dying from
pain and loss of blood, Mrs Glenn had suf-
ficient presence of mind to crawl back to
her home, followed closely by Maggie, who
could scarcely comprehend the terrible af-
fair. Drcarily, and III the most intense
suffering, passed the long afternoon to the
wounded mother; but in the smile which
wclled up from Maggic's blue eyes when
standing beside her, she felt more than re-
paid for all she had already, and all she
must in the future, endure for her chld's
lifc
William Glenn was horror stricken on re-
turning from his labor, at the frightful con-
dition Of his wife. lie dispatched his hired
man eleven miles for the nearest physician,
and in anxious hope and fear he awaited
his arrival.
at last-it was near day -brcak-the man
OF science came. After gravely examining
the case, he pronounced amputation of the
mutilatcd limb the only means of preserv-
ing life Mrs. Glenn did not finch from
the trying ordeal, but bore herself through
out with Roman fortitudc.
Maggie Glenn grew up good and beau
tiful woman-hcr love for her mother the
one great, holy and sanctifcd trait in her
lovely character. Early in life she was
united to hardy young mountainccr, who
took her farther east to live in pleasant
home of his own.
The old shears are preserved as sort of
heir-loom-a token of their ancestors
prowcss-by Maggie's descendants.