The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-03-20
PANTHER AND A RArTLEsEAKE
And "A Lone Fisherman Have n Very
Lively Time Of il.


Front street last evening, with heads close
together, smoking short brier-wood pipes
and talking in a slow way as il they had
to stop and throw their weight on it before
getting a word longer than one syllable
spoken. They were dressed in corduroy
trousers. tucked into the tops of their boots,
and short thick coats. They were going
over their experiences in the Rocky Noun
tain regions. the hotel being a resort for
old-country miners on their way East or
West. Finally one OF the group named An
drew Mcdonald Strengthened up and said,
in louder voice than he had hitherto used:
" You may talk about sea serpents, but my
pards had an adventure with n rattler last
spring that knocks out any yarn you ever
heard"
Half a dozen Ioungers and reporter
gathered around the miner while he con-
tinued:
"His name was Heman Fish, and he
came from western Ohio. We called him
Heme for short. He could do two things
better than any man I ever saw. One was
to fish and the other was to handle black
snake whip I reckon most Of you know
what a bIacksnake whip is. Heme could
pick fly from the ear of the of mule Of
fOur-in- hand, and never let the mule know
a whip was anywhere about.
Last spring he and I got on a spree in
St Louis, and when we shook ourselves
together again we found ourselves in a
town called PaOla, Kansas. As Heme's
head bcEgl to shrink, he took notion that
we should go away from there by the over
land route, and so we went down to Fort
Scott and joined the caravan that was
bound for New Mexico across the Staked
Plains '
"A caravan across the Staked Plains
from Fort Scott last spring ?n the barten-
der remarked with some emphasis.
YES said Mcdonald, as though irri-
tated d" We had followed the procession
about two weeks, when one evening we
camped on one of the northeTly branches
of the Red River of the South in "a bit Of
timber. Without waiting a minute Heme
drew fish line and pole from Its hooks
under the canvas OF our prairie schooner
and started down the creek FOR a mess Of
fish somehow he didnt seem to have his
usual luck. The sun was Just sinking, and
Heme walked on from pool to pool, now
and then dropping his line in without sue
cess till he was about half a mile down
stream. There in an open space, where the
grass was short but the woods thick, a few
rods away he found blg dead tree that
had fallen into the creek and washed
around with the top down stream. just
below this the water was deep and still,
and as his hook sank into the water he felt
the first blood stirring tug Of the evening.
It was a catfish. Not very exciting sport,
YOU win say to catch a bullhead. but then
the eating Of them is never 80 be despised.
For fifteen minutes Heme was SO busy that
he did not notice the flight of time, but Just
as Ae felt a tug on his line for the eighth
time, he became aware that something was
about to happen that he had not Gnticipa-
ted. He said afterwaTd that he felt lust as
man does who wakes up at midnight to
find himself bolt upright in bed, hearing
nothing and wondering what was the mat
ter. The feeling was so strong that instead
OF landing the fish he looked slowly around.
Not five feet away to his left was a big
panther. arChlnL It's back and rubbing the
sides Of its head along the grass and smil-
ing at him, almost, rs IL laSned its tail from
side TO side. 1t was playing with him cat
fashion. Meantime the catfish had swal-
lowed the hook and was tugging away so
hard that. in spite of his scare, which made
his road-brimmed hat tremble he turned
TO look at the line and the DOB0ing cork
which he always Hsnei with From the
agitattd water about the cork mis- eve fell
on q SiN-fOot TatJler that was making its
way over the edge of the bank Of the creek
from the old dead log and was headed di-
rectly for him. From The snake he looked
10 the CaYOTtlnE panther. and then back TO
the ugly reptile, afraid to strike with his
pole lest the panther should spring on him,
and afraid to stand still lest the snake
should attack him as soon as IL was near
enough somehow the movements Of the
panther as il tTOtted about, rolled over OF
jumped stiff legged into the air proved a
stronger attraction, and for a minute he
last effort to free itself from he hook. The
panther was walking away as if to leave
its victim IN peace, when Heme looked
around and saw the snake was passing him.
headed for he timber. Then the inspira-
tiou came which saEed his life. lie had the
polo in his left hand STOPPING over he
caught the reptile by the tail. Quick as
this was done lhe panther saw the motion,
and turning about settled Tor Il spring as
femC NuTItU the snake easily but RAPIDLY
over his head. The panther was too late
HemcS skill with the whip enabled hiu to
drop the TaJrleT cOmfDrtab bly, abOuu the
panther neck. and the next instant buried
IT'S tangs in the beast > tongue that showed
through It's half open mouth.
Then ite.ac got really frightened and,
with q ven. he plunged into the creek, and
f0"Ufer'GE across, ran breathlessly up
81 EgaII 10 bg camp. When he had man
aged 20 -s-i, ont his story the whole camp
rcal,i with laughter at the Comical figure
and al what seemed 20 be about the most
unlikely yarn they had ever heard"
90 See hclE. Mack. who pTinlCd Won to tell
that 80 said the bartender wipirg his
hands on his partly white apron.
" PrjUCd be -,' said the story teller
"It'. true I've got the snakes rattle, and
J'il show II TO YOU
Tie took a soii5-lookiug yaIise from be
5aHH tEg bar, and, while fumLlinE for his
key said % II took us about ten minutes
20 reach the spot where Heue had been
fishing. The panther was stiI alive but
'fn was ON bis iHst pegs. The snake was in
two pieces, the panther having chawed
is~ hCHs, OF after be was bitten. J cut the
rattle OF, and here it is"
There were twelve OF the ractles, besides
tie button on the end The snake was
thirteen years of age. The Bartender walk
g. behind The bar and passed down a big
ctr-E.ass bottle, containing yeliowish
f.Hij GS Ee placed number Of little
siH.u'H round tumhlerS beside it he said
Help tvsfr-l Ives, boys dive 81 up The
i-'tt.es prove it. .'-l New G9-S sun.