Connecticut western news., 1888-08-01
A FEARFUL SIEGE.

The capital of Michigan had scarcely been changed from D,troit to Lansing before my father got the fever to go West. We were then living ia New York State, and doing fairly we'll on farm, but the talk about Michigan up- set many a man who was then we'll enough off. I was IA years old the day we loft for the We,t-eather, mother, four children, and hired man. All of us, clear down to tho baby, were en- thusiastic and full of hope, and father was just the sort of man the Detroit land sharks were looking for. They sold him swamp farm in Shiawassee county, and in one way and an other, cheated and defraudcd him, until we reached our destination with hardly a dollar to begin on. A span of horses and a COW constituted our live stock, and when father found how he had been duped, he lost heart entirely. The swindlers guaranteed forty acres of clearing and good log house. The clearing was lake, and the log house was wretched affair, about sixteen feet square, which had been put up for some surveyors.
 It is not, however, of our family troubles am going to talk. Michigan was Q great game cou try at that date, and we soon discovered that we had To- cated pretty near head quarters. Inside of three days we had seen panther, three wolves, bear, lynx, and an h. dian devil. Our nearest ncighbor was ten or twelve miles away, and the near est village about twenty. We were dead stark alone in the midst of great wilderness, and, aside from all other perils, the Indians, who were generally supposed to be peaceable, looked upon all pioneers with jealous eyes, and made their stay unpleasant in many ways. On the second day of our stay they stole cur COW aud ran her off into Ingham county, where we accidentally found her two years later; and inside of Q week they made several attempts to get the horses. It was not until fired upon that they left us in peace, and then the wild beasts and reptiles took hold. Our hut stood within 900 feet of the edge of great swamp, and the swamp was headquarters for rattlesnakes, blue racers, black snakes, bears, partners, wolves and every other creature belong ing to the country. During the first week of cur stay wo killed upward of hundred snak es. most of them rattlers; and Gordon, the hired man, who was a good shot, killed a bear and three wolves.
 Our adventures with the partners were many and perilous, as the beasts seemed determined not to leave the To- cality. The first time T saw one my life was preserved in most wonderful manner. We had been located about 10 days, and were clearing up piece of land about quarter of mile from the house. Father was sick in the house, Gordon was off after deer fo, meat and Twas in the clearing alone, having light axe and cutting away al the small troes. The only thing I feared was the snakes, having been assured that no wild beasts would attack me by daylight. In cutting down young beech tree it fell upon an iron wood in , way to break it off about 10 feet from the ground and leave the trunk badly splintered. This splintered trunk stood about IA feet from very large beech had noticed it only in 8 general way as had set myself stint to do, ane was working with much enthusiasm.
 It was about o'clock in the after noon and was bending over to exam inc curious bug which was crawlin, at my feet, when scream filled tn woods, something hit and knocked me fiat on my face, aud nex instant wonderful situation was devel opod. A panther had sprung upon m from the large beech tree. The cowar, had no doubt been watching mo flo long time and had waited for me t get my back to him. He meant to clea the splintered ironwood in his spring but he did not quite succeed. He ha struck me with his paw-rolling me owe
 but not hurting me to speak of, and 6 he came down his right hind foe
 caught between two great splinters an
 held him fast. Then was treated to
 circus. I was too scared to move an stood not moro than ten feet away an witnessed what nobody ever saw b' fore. The beast hung head down war in the air, c.awing and splitting an yelling, and tho harder he struggled tn more securely was his foot imprison cd Such screams and yellsl Father an mother came running at once supposing I was attacked and an Indian who was hun ing mile or moro distant was guide to the spot by the racket. The shar claws sent splinters of wood flying a
 about and the 1.-the body bent an twisted like snake. We had no Eu and father was too weak to ventura !