Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-27
sURPsIsFD BY A PANTHER.

OeorSe Ddulel, Vi Lexington, N.Y., al
rived in this city yesterday morning, on
his way home, after spending three months
in New Mexico and other Territories and
States in the far West. Mr.. Daniel is in
excellent health, and save an arm, which
he carries in sling, he is physically much
better than before. A reporter CT the
Courier Journal met Mr.. Daniel in the
office of the Louisville Hotel yesterday
afternoon, and, after few minutes
conversation about his trip, asked
him about his arm. "This arm,
as you see," replied Mr.. Daniel,
sis badly broken and somewhat torn up,
and there is quite an adventure connected
with the time in which it was broken, and
if you would like to hear it, l will tell
you about it." The reporter expressed his
willingness to hear the incident, and after
lighting a cigar, he commenced:
THE STORY.
81 had been in Denver City for some
time, and l thought 1 would take a run
down into New Mexico, and started in a
few days. The travelling was very slow.
and it took up considerable amount of
time to reach Santa Fe, where proposed
to stop for week or two l had been in
tlemen whom l knew proposed that we
take a trip to the mountains, which lay to
the west Of the city, and have good hunt.
1 accepted the proposition Immediately,
and the next morning we made up party
of five, and, getting into an old.fashioned
emigrant wagon, we started after supply
ing ourselves with enough to eat on the
way, and some tolerably fair whisky,
which we were Fortunate enough
to procure. We were in no particu.
lar hurry to arrive at our destination, and
managed to spend about two days on the
route camping out at night, and having
generally good time. had been informed
that we could find some bear in the mount
aims if we locked for them, and nothing
would satisfy me but to look for them.
My companions were not so large in their
aims as l was, and were contented to hunt
smaller game, but | read so much about
THE FUN OF HUNTING BEARS
In the mountains that nothing else would
do me, SO we started out about 8 clock one
afternoon to see what we could scare up.
| Our camp was at the foot of tolerabiy
high mountain, and on the north side was
some very broken ground, covered with
| scrubby growth of trees. At some places
the underground was so thick that it was
with some difficulty we could make our
way through it, but | was looking forward
with true Kentucky bloodthirstiness to the
time when should tackle my first bear,
and | did not mind torn clothes and
scratched hands and face. After about an
hours working we got into a short stretch
of country where the underground was
| somewhat thinner and the trees little
arge. Three of the party had gone
around some distance from us and
left me in company with Mann
| ion, who had even less experience
as hunter than 1. We sat down together
at the foot of rather large sized tree, and,
having flask in my pocket, l proposed
that we regale ourselves by taking drink.
We had been sitting at the foot of the tree
for some time, waiting for the rest of the
party to come up, when by accident | cast
my eyes up into the tree, and to my sur
prise saw beast which at the first glance
took to be bear, but which turned out
to be small species of the panther. which
is found in several parts of the mountains.
instantly told my companion to look up,
and, after taking a look at the animal,
which did not appear very aggressive, L
took courage and said would kill it with
my rifle Mannion was inclined to be
| little more careful, and said that we had
better get out from under the tree, as
THE BEAST MIGHT JUMP ON Us.
| This was very good advice, and l got up
very carefully, so as not to brighten it
away, and, returning to about two yards
from the tree, cooked my rifle and took
good aim, Mannion having agreed to re-
serve his fire in case my bullet did not take
effect. After aiming for considerable
length of time l fired, and the bullet,
instead of striking the animal, struck
the limb upon which it was sitting, and
the only effect which it had was to make
the animal jump out of the tree. Man
MON saw the body coming down, and
stared to run, but stopped when he got
about three yards off, aud prepared to
shoot. Meantime the animal struck the
ground on all tours and made charge
at me. Mannion thought that this was
the time to shoot, and such thought as
stopping because l was directly between
! him and the animal did not occur to him,
SO he blazed away and struck me in the arm,
breaking it Just above the elbow, where you
see this bandage. The bullet was not to be
stopped by my arm, however. but passed by
and struck the panther in the side of the
shoulder, making deep flesh wound. The
shot had the effect, much to my Joy, of
causing the animal to turn round and run
away. This satisfi. me with hunting for
years, and we returned home next day"
IF ,,uisyille Clurier Journal