Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1879-10-16

ed my eyes, thinking 1 would take g !
few minutes rest before going on
ward.
II did not mean to go to sleep, |
yet in less than five minutes l was
unconscious of all that was passing
around me. How long slept know
not. 1t might have been a few min
utes, or it might have been an hour,
but awOke at last with start, and
sense of some great danger hanging
over me. l did not start up or move
hand or foot. A certain something,
| could not tell what, seemed to chain
me down.
81 opened my eyes and looked
about me, but saw nothing; and
was just on the point of making a
motion to get upon my feet, when l
heard the slight cracking q branch
above my head. Looking up in the
direction f7the sound l beileld q
sight that almost froze the marrow i'm
my boneS, and seemed to turn my
blood to ice. A huge panther was
crouching there, ready for spring
upon me.
GAS mvtionIess as one dead lay
and gazed upon my terrible enemy.
To stir as much as a hand / knew
would be the signal for the beast to
spring upon me. Its fiery eyes were
fixed upon my face, and its tail was
gently waving to anG fro, like that Of
81 cat.
''Hope of escape there seemed
none. My doom was sealed. The
panther had me as surely in his pow
er as though at that moment his
claws were fastened in my flesh.
THE agony of those few moments
/ shall remember to my dying day.
1t haunts me in my sleep, and often l
start up III alright, dreaming that
the terrible scene is being enacted
over again.
"All at once the fiery eyes of the
panther we're turned from me, and
fixed upon some object little to the
. right. What could it mean? What
, new danger was approaching Inc from
that direction! BY turning my head
little, was enabled TO see what it
, was. A man was creeping toward
| me with knife in his hand. He was
: not dozen feet from where / lay,
: and at the first glance L recognized
! him.
5 at was the man whom | had made
, upmv mind was a villain in the tav
G crn the night before, and whom
feared all the forenoon might be fol.
} lowing me. The presentiment | haC
{ had was not groundless, then. Blu
g | had not counted on double dan
{ ger.
t Cautiously the villain crcpt to
n ward me, with a murderous look il
t his face. A glance showed me tha
< one thing was evident. The villain
: while he sought to murder me, wa
e not aware of his own danger, for tn
p panther no longer kept its eyes tixeC
{ upon me. 1t was watching ever,
= motion of the villain, aud each in
?. slant | expected that it would leal
i down upon him.
5 If it would only do so before h
reached my side, 1t would prove IN.
o salvation.
| "CIoscr and closer the villain drey
toward me. Only moment more
k and he would be 50 near me that h
l. could reach me with his outstretchet
L hanu. There was not an instant t
4 be lost, and | was just on the pOin
if of springing TO my feet, when, quic
:. as flash of lightning, the panthe
t cleft the air, and landed squared
h upon the shoulders of the villain
II with his claws and fangs buried dee
= in his flesh A terrible cry of terrO
le and rage burst from his lips as h
), went down, with his blood dyeing til
l. earth. AT the same instant ] wa
y upon my feet, and, drawing a pistol
0. | sent Il bullet through the head Q
n the beast. 1t did its work well
lie though even in death the brut
N clung to its victim, and when at las
Of its struggles were over, l pulled
| from the bleeding man, | saw that
10 had also done its work. The impres
.. of death was on the villains face, an
re- in few moments he was dead.
IA Il left them both lying there, an
hurried on to the next Settlemen
n- where | told my story. With help
lie returned, and the dead man was cal
20 ried back to his home, where no OF
ct seemed to care for his fate.
" "In my own home have the ski
id of the panther stuffed, and shoul
rs you ever come my way, gentlemen,
in should be pleased to show it TO yo;
* There, you have my story. Nov
off the next"