The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-10-13

/ drenuI noise. z
| / dess better run and see, for If he has-boe
Feiled down ze stairs and killed his-self, ,uha
| ST. Nicholas.
HOW UNCLE HARRY SHOT A PAN
+ Their. ''.''
70 z -L .Y - a.g.
"Say, Uncle Harry, you've sho
most every thing; did you ever shoot
pantherp' inquired Charlie, as he looked
up from the book he was reading.
/ "Of course he has, interruptet
Tom. s4s'Don't you remember the skin
he has in his roOmp''
| "That panther was nothing to M,
first,rs said Uncle Harry, with q laugh
sss.Tell us about it, pleaded Charlie
as he drew his chair closer tohis uncle s
Uncle Harry laughed again good
naturedly. and commenced as follows
1t was the summer your father go,
married that I,took: NV, first trip into
the Adirondacks. ] went up to Mar.
tins, hired a guide, and we started of
for Little Upper Lake, where we were
to camp. !, We selected camping.
place at the head of the lake, where
there was1a good spring of water, and
soon had our tent up and the camp
fixed. Certain bear and panther tracks
around the spring did not add to our
sense of security; but the guide assured
me that they would not come into camp
in the daytime, and that at night the
dog would give warning. For the first
three or four days all went wen;i we
shot deer, caught plenty of trout,
and had a good time generally. But
one afternoon. about four o. clock. Hank
Sweeny, my guide, came to me with the
announcement that the dog was gone.
"Chawed up his rope, and skedad-
died., as Hank expressed il. 81
reckon he must a. smelled that thar
panther that was to the spring last night.
He's death on paHtheis.." .S z
!. What are you going to dog'a i in
quired. anxiously.
.sWell, Ireckon Pllfetch some more
wood into camp, SO as you can keep up
fire, then IN take and row around
the lake and mp the creek, and veil fop
him; he won't 90 fur answered Hank.
seThen why not let him come home
himself?' i suggested, for 4 had no
fancy for being left in camp alone; for
we had been in camp all the morning.
and Hank had filed my head so full al
panther stories that trembled at every
sound 7,T 8FTa sf'9lli ii
.ssWhY. you see, he'd start out, for
nome over ON Long Lake eff he got
lost" explained Hank. L g And then ef
ne should tree panther, he'd set at
the foot Of the tree till 1876 eli / didn't
call him off. You amt afraid to keen
camp for an hour or two?' he added.
s.S,-h-h n-ONop' Imurmured. II
For the next few minutes Hank
busted himself in collecting large bile
of pine boughs and dry, sticks for the
ire. Then he shouldered NV light
life, and handing me his heavy one. he
remarked; - guess Ill start. Keen
up . good fire, and don't go fur away
rom 1t, as the panthers come close f3j
amp sometimes along the edge Of the;
evening, and climb into a tree: then
when a ieller goes under, they drop on !
nm. III leave my heavy rifle for you,
or It would give you better chance il I
should turn upssa5fie aanaYl3i
hadn't better go with your"
'entureG.
,.sAnd leave the camp alonep', am
wered Hank, in fine scorn. ..Why.
hat deer would draw all the cats III TIE
eighborhood. Keep the fire a-going,
nd YOU'RE all right..s'ls ! - " ssT3s'
thought to myself that would
ouch prefer to be out Of the way when
II the cats in the neighborhood came
0 investigate the. deer; but Hank was
q the boat, and I could hear the SPLASH
I the oars asihel pulled up the lakes
sat by the fire, with Hanks rifle ON
~ knees, listening as the sound or his +
Dice calling the dog died away in the 4
istance- ! examined the rifle, and |
NV that it was loaded; it was one Of the =
10 pattern q repeating rifles, and i
lcked like a mule. / tried to whistle. +
ut 1t was failure endeavored I'll Il
i'm my thoughts to something else.
ut 1t was no use. The story Of the
ian who fell asleep beside the camp y
re and was eaten up by panther.
the other man who had a panther
IMP on him from tree and who lost
9th eyes Ia the struggle, and Of vail
GUS other men who had been killed
"0uOu Ny buc ueIce ANIMALS.
ere uppermost In my mind. I sat
i'd watched the sunlight fade, the
Did and crimson melt off the fieecy r
oads, and the shadows Dis they gath
ed thicker and deeper in the. val.
Us. Except for the occasional weird !
I'd demon-ike' laugh of the loon far. /
'Wn the lake, everything was perfect.
still, and every sound seemed maoni-
'a; the cracking of twig seemed the ,,
cad OF bear, the buzz. of a night
'etle. the growl OF panther. I sat, I =
mt know how long. till suddenly nv Il {
art almost stopped beating as / heard !
g steady but stealthy sound of foot y
cps on my left. / did not dare to- {
owe; At last. with a desperate exer-
M turned, and there in the crotch +,
low tree, about twenty. feet from
., sat an immense panther lust ready Ii
spring. It was so dark that I could; Ia
8 distinguish the outlines OF his form. a
q his two ewes cleaning like Goals 81 | i