The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-04-04
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 the now populous county of Lycoming was an unbroken forest full of bears, wolves, pantkers and other wild animals less ferocious. It was many years ago that was travelling through the Pine creek region, and becoming belated found accommodations for self and beast at the hospitable cabin of Morrison, a veritable son of the forest. Alter well cooked supper of venison and potatoes, persuaded Morrison to relate some of his hunting adventures, one of which so vividly impressed me that afterwards noted it down, and now give it, with probably some errors, but substantially as it was told to me, and in the language of the old trapper. Durn a banter, ] say, they be the cussedest critter l ever seen. Talk about bars, why they hain't nowhere. A bar is always open and above board, but banter just sneaks up and is onto you fore you can say seats. But, sq'ir', I'll tell you yarn, and allow you'll think bad a blazin' narrow 'scape. You see it war in the fall, deer war plenty, and fur man to kill two or three day war no job; but every critter will strike an unlucky day, and the one l sot down to 20 deer stalking war one of them. l left home in the morn- ing and striking up Cedar run, calcur- lated to kill three or four deer fore din. ner, but durn me if could strike nary one till long in the afternoon, when spied an old buck. l blazed away. but the 'tarnal gun didn't strike fire, and fore l could prime her again way went old buck. A right nice chase he led me, and fore knowed it, it began to git dark. Hooked around me and couldn't tell whar war at all nor which way my cabin war. All thoughts of gitting home to Betty and tie children war druv from my heart to onct, and 'cordingly built up a fire and squatted down beside it. Well, blame me, just as I'd got com fortably fixed, heard 8 rustling in the bushes, then a scream like child in pain and knowed there war one of them devilish pant'ers sneaking around war afraid to go to sleep for fear the critter would get his clutches onto me, but swar it were dull business sitting thar all alone, and every once in while l would forget myself and begin to nod, then the't of the banter would strike me and would start up, and thar, not two rods away, I'd see two eyes of fire lookin' right at me. I'd raise my rife, keerful like, but them balls of fire would leave mighty sud den. Then I'd get up and poke the fire and resolve not to sleep any more, but 'twant DO use. would get into a snooze and wake up to see them glaring balls of fire a-gazing at me. l swar but that war long night, but it came to an end at last got up and looked round some for the banter, but he had vamoosed and nary shot could git, for the old she. devil was as cunning as polerticion and kept herself at re- spectable distance. When it got light enuf to see,I knowed whr war, at least twelve miles from home, and durn me if l warnt mad to think l had sich a tramp, and hadn't even been lowed to sleep and swore I'd never go back till I'd killed so'thing. So started out. Party soon spied an old buck; want long drawing bead on him and in few minnits had a venison breakfast that would make a redskin grin. Arter I'd eat all I wanted started for home toting the old buck behind me, but my load got heavier and heavier and not having slsp. any the night afore grew m azingly tired and sleepy. Wcn, 'squ;r', finally got down among the leaves and with my back against tree, and it want five minnits till war fast asleep. didn't remember no more till heard a rustling sound and, opening my eyes found it real dark. had sense enough not to move but lay there still like, and psrty soon be- gan to understand, and when did my hair ris right up on end. That blamed banter had s'ented me and finding me asleep made a meal of the old buck and covered me up for future meal. Purty soon had the old she devil trotting away and knowed she war of for time. It wa'nt long then till I had my old gun in my hands and 1 at once planned a trap for the old varmint hauled up an old rotten log and keerfully covered it with the leaves and then waited It want more than half an hour afore seen the ole she banter stealing along kinder soft like followed by two sleepy-looking cubs. When they got about ten feet from whar l had been buried the old