The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-06-26
PANTHER-HUNTING in KENTUCKY.

had been following on horseback
for nearl y whole day mere bride
path" leading out at the head of one
creek to strike another successfully,
across intervening mountains in East.
ern Kentucky, having passed few cabins
during the afternoon, when the ap-
prOach of night warned me to look out
for some place of shelter if I did not
attend to make an impromptu and
forced encampment in the forest. The
mountains had proved very steep and
lard to climb, the valleys correspond
ingly deep and narrow, with generally a
beautiful clear stream meandering
through them; and almost the only
travellers met on the way were long
string of horses and mules, with their
drivers, all in single file on the mount
ain path, and each animal with a pack
saddle-Spanish fashion-carrying into
the recesses of the mountain ranges
such coarse goods as were suited to the
necessities of poor country; salt and
sugar, clothes, iron, ETC., the same car
riers to take back ginseng, hides, little
wool, and whatever else of the limited
produce of the region could be had for
expectation and in the way of exchange.
And this was the commerce of Eastern
Kentucky at that early period, some
what improved since the war.
Of course was aware of the slender
chance afforded for anything like regu-
lar tavern; but feeling constrained to
stop somewhere as it was close to sunset.
l determined to try the first cabin /
alghted on, no matter how unpromising
might be the looks of things. Arriving
shortly at log house, I hailed the estab-
hshment, which stood some thirty yards
back from the fence that inclosed it.
lnquiring as to the chances of shelter
for the night?"
Il reckon you'll have to come in here,
stranger" was the response of female
voice, its owner for moment peering
out of the doorway with an inuuiring
look at man and horse.
Riding into the yard through a rude
gateway, / hitched my steed to tree in
front OF the cabin, and, taking off nv
''plunder," i. e. saddlebags, I entered
the domicile. Right inside I encoun-
tered white-haired old settler clad in
the llnsey hunting-shirt of the country.
and seated at his frugal meal of "corn-
dodgers" buttermilk, and cold cut of
bacon. Merely looking up, but without
rising, the salutation of my host was
characteristic enough:
Sit down, stranger! Make a long
arm and help yourself hate cere-
monyW
Of course [ promptly responded in
%Che same vein, with the expressed
assurance that II, too, disliked all hioh-
fdta4t5n and fuss" and, seating myself,
/ pitched in with a will, my appetite
sharpened by the consciousness of hay
ing had no dinner, and the further con-
Nvlction that, coarse as was the fare. it
was all [ would get until the next morn
sing at any rate.
The family L soon found to consist
1T the old pioneer, his wife, one son,
and two daughters; the latter really
pretty girls of about Is and 20 years
respectively, and full of curiosity as to
What the traveller iu Store lothes,"i i. e.
broadcloth, had to tell about the great
outside world of which they themselves
knew so little.
Supper over, and the welfare of my
good steed looked after, I found myself
seated before huge log-fre, listening
TO stories of Kentucky in the olden
time. On this occasion the subject
happened to be principally panther
hunting, something with which, on az
count of its cliffs and dark ravines, the
section in early times abounded; and
rs many of these incidents can hardly
hAelp being of interest to readers of the
lpresent time, l propose to relate some
~of them as they were told to me.
when / first moved out of Calina
into Kaintuck," began the old gentle
man, II had one of the ikeiest colts
any one ever sot eyes on. The mar
was fine enough; but the colt-why,
ats coat was jest silk and satin; and, as
dor it's limbs, no fawn you'd meet in the
woods was more trim built. or could git
over the ground faster Why, stranger,
[ Jest had to stop and look at that mar
and colt every time went past the lot
in which | kept 'em, up that hollow you
c>me down to-day; and I thought most
rs much of them as did of the old
oman and gals, for horses was horses