Connecticut western news., 1888-08-01

ing open -mou!hcd when the Indian camo up and shot the panther through the head. He could not get the carcass until we had chopped the stub down aud split it open with wedges.
 A couple of weeks later hunter came along who advised father to give up clearing for a year or two and trap and hunt. All sorts of furs had fair cash value, and the state was paying a bounty on the scalps of wolves, bears and partners. The Indian, who had taken the body of the panther off with him, had made $15 oa its scalp. The hunter told us how to make rude traps and deadfalls, and tho three of us were soon buy with the gamo around us. One day found path leading around the edge of the swamp, and the soil boro unmistakable proofs that wild beasts passed that way. Wo had heard tho scream of partners nightly, but l supposed tho beasts which used this path were wolves. I had made a stout rope of hickory peelings, and at favor able point on the path bent over a stcut sapling, attached my rope, and then noosed it and carried tho trigger to a bush. What I wanted now was the bait, and Gordon furnished that in the shape of the fore quarter of deer ho had killed that morning. When the trap was ready no animal could get at the bait without putting its head in the moose. I went to sleep that night counting on the scalp of wolf, and next morning I was off as soon as l could see my way through tho forest. It was we'll that was not ten minutes earlier. I was within ten rods of the trap when was stopped dead still by the screams of panther. I knew tho beast as soon as he yelled, and it was easy to conclude that he was in trouble. l crept forward very care fully, hearing great thrashing about with the yells, and when I reached a point where I could sec the path saw that big panther had noosed himself. The neoso had caught him about the loins, so far back that he could not get at the rope to bite it, aud the spring of tho tree barely permitted him to touch the earth with his paws now and then.
 If the other beast, trapped through his own carelessness, was mad, this fcl- low, who had become the victim of a put-up job, was furious. All the rage in his nature lubbled up as he dangled there and felt that his end was n ear. He was at a great disad vantage, of course, but his struggles were so vio- lent that became alarmed aud ran away, knowing that if he got loose he wcu'd tcar me to pieces. He was still fast when returned with Gordon, and bullet quickly put an end to his ca reer. Ho was an old and dangerous beast. When we came to skin him we found tho point of knife in his shoul- der, and ho had several scars made by tho weapons of the Indians
 We did not catch sight of panther for several weeks after this adventure, although never night passed that we did not hear their screams. Tho weather had now come on warm, and we could do no moro at trapping. Father fell very sick, and one day about the middle of Juno it became plain that he must have medical assistanc, at once. Gordon mounted ono of the horses for q ride to the doctors, a distance of twelve miles, and when night came ho had not returned. It had scar rcely grown dark when the wild beasts around us began to howl and roar and skulk about tho house, and after catching sight of sev. eral wolves I went in and barred tho door. There was only one opening fol a window, and over this was nailed { blanket. It was high up from ths ground, and only about two feet square. The horse was ia stout pen, and there was no fear that ho could be got at
 When night had fully settled down WI were in state of siege. Wolves to th' number of forty or fifty surrounded th house, and growing bolder as tim' passed and their number increased, the, made furious and repeated efforts t. force an entrance. Gordon had taker the gun with him, but we had tw, axes in the house. Mother stood at tn, door with one and I defended th
 window with tho other. Tn
 wolves gnawed hole in the door through which one could have passed lut for her presence and tho sharp edged weapon she wieldel. Every heat stuck into the opening re cceivcd blow and the bnff1sd animals finally cease' their efforts at that point, althoug.
 mother dared lot leave the spot. Afte
 the wolves had worried us for an hour
 without, however, having made muc
 of an effort to get in by way of the win
 dow, it being too high for them, the
 left us all of q sudden. I then draggc
 chest across the floor to stop the hol
 in the door, and mother discovered tha
 father was dead. Tho poor man, wea
 as he was, had not been able to cndur
 the fright of tho attack. We did nc
 have many minutes for lamca tatiou The wolves had given place to mor
 dangerous enemy. There was sud den pounco on the roof over our heads accompanied by a snarl, and we kne