The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-07-11

UP lAo oAlue CCWarQS ClS
peak.
Tom, of course, was uncertain wheth-
or he had wounded the creature. The
next morning was Christmas. As soon
as it was light, Tom was out examining
the trail. He was satisfied now that It
was a panther and a very large one;
and he found, too, that his shot of the
previous night had wounded it.
Following the trail in the snow, he
traced it across the "bald" that marks
here the crest Of the mountain, then
around the steep side Of the peak till
the tracks disappeared in the laurel
tunnel beyond.
Toms heart beat fast for it was in
this very tunnel that he had set his
trap. Upon his hands and knees he
cautiously crawled into the dark pas
sage. The trap was gone. The beast
had stepped into it, and then pulled
the "anchor" loose and dragged trap and
all further under the laurel. Big Tom
was not the mar to turn back. Almost
any other hunter would have hesitated
before facing a wounded panther in
such a place; but Tom thought Of his
christmas pig, and his anger at it's loss
made him reckless. Slowly and eau
tiously, with rifle in hand, he crept on.
The rays of the sun struggled through
the dense, snow covered foliage, and
barely showed him the pathway through
the tangled brush.
Mitchells High Peak, rising with q
sharp incline from the crest OF the ridge
on the south, falls off on the north side
in an irregular precipice several hun
dred feet high. This steep wall is brok-
en- at intervals by narrow, shelf-like
crags, among which bears and other
wild animals make their way from one
to another of the dense jungles ianking
the peak on either side.
By this time the "burrow" which Tom
had been following had led him within
a few rods of one of these rocky
Shelves" A dozen yards ahead he
could see an opening in the tunnel and
the path leading out across the ledge
to the Jungle beyond.
He had paused here to consider
what it was best to do, when with a rat
tie Of chains and o savage screech, the
panther .sprang up from behind a
boulder and rushed at him. At such
cloes quarters a rife was useless, and
there was no time for him to draw his
knife. lnstinctively, as it rushed upon
him, Tom seized the creature by the
throat, threw his knees upon its body,
and, by might and main, pinned it to
the ground. The strong steel trap had
caught the beast by one fore paw; yet
even thus encountered, Tom found
that, giant as he was, he had met more
than his match.
The great cat writhed and struggled;
and for some time the old mans brawny
hands gripped it's throat like a wise.
One fore paw was fastened i'll the trap
and Tom had his knee on the other;
but meanwhile the hind feet were free
and doing serious work. The sharp,
hooked claws had torn the mans leath-
er leggins into pieces, and were ~lacerat-
ing his limbs terribly. If he could have
used his hand, the knife in his belt
would have ended the terrible struggle;
but to loosen his grip upon the crea-
lures throat for an instant would have
been almost certain death for him.
He called for help, but none of us
who had tardily followed, were within
his hearing. Something, he knew,
must be done quickly, for he was bleed
ing and began to lose strength.
His grasp was slackening. A few mo-
ments more and he would be at the
mercy of those savage jaws. Not far
ahead the light was streaming into the
end of the dark ''bnrrow,' and he could
plainly see therrocky ledge beyond. A
/, sudden thought occurred to him; if he
could only drag the panther outside the
laurel. to the brink of the crag, there
would be a chance for him. A dozen
yards-could he do it?
Summoning all his strength, the old
man pushed the beast Il few inches to.
ward the opening. 1t struggled furi-
ously: no one save a mountain giant
could have held it down. Again and
again the old hunter moved forward,
and again would he have to pause and
: tighten his grip about the neck of the
struggling beast.
He had almostgreached the opening
when he found that he was growing
faint from loss Of blood; objects began
r to grow blearded and misty. But he
. drove back the lfaintness and moved
. again. He HAS at the end of the
"..burrow."
tOne more effort and he was out
/, His hands were numb; the cliff and
trees above seemed like shadow, indis
tinct and tremulous. Could he NOV
, again? The panther, nearly suffocated
had almost ceased its struggles; but a:
his grasp relaNes lit began to writhe
. again. This nerved him for one last fna
,. effort. He mcved a little nearer the
!, edge of the preeipice, then summonine
: all his remoining strength, he showed
: panther, trap and '.anchor" over the
: ledge, and sent them rafting, crashing
. bounding down the cliff hundred fee,
:, into the gorge below.
;, And with that final effort the old maj
= Dropped upon the rock and tainted dead
away. Yes, Big Tom actually tainted
Tl4ere we discovered him half an houl
! later, his clothes torn, his limbs gashet
by those terrible claws.
!, Down below, half buried beneath
= loose stones, the panther was after
wardsifound dead, with the broken tral
. still hanging to his paw. TOMS sho
: the night before had wounded it in til,
shoulder; and it was no doubt owing K
tkis wound that Tom was victorious il
!, the fight. We preserved the grea
beasts skin, which nov serves the writel
for q foot7mat. It measured nine fee
from nose 10 tap of taiL-Youth's Com
pani0n.
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