The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-02-23
sent another bullet after his first AGAIN

sent another bullet after his first Again
the tenacious beast sprnne into the thicket,
bnt Capt. Browns 96ick eye saw that his
last shot had been an effective one, and
&c still followed the trail, now market 10y
blood From the direction the wounded
animal took the skilled woodsman knew
that il was making for the rocky recesses
further down the course Of the outlet. at
a spot now famous as the Rainbow falls.
There the creek flows through deep
ravise, and the faces Of the rocks are cut
and scanned by assures and deep ra:ines.
The hunter, now sure OF his trophy
followed more leisurely than he had. aud
when he came TO the head or top Of the
falls. where perpendicular rock towers
nearly fifty feet above the stream, 1T its
base being a roomy but dark cavern he
saw the enormous body OF the panther
stretched Oh the ground ut the mouth OF
the cave Brown clambered along !hc
rocks which Rugged the water so closely
that passage was difficult and dangerous.
and at last reached the fiat rock whlch
covers space Of several feet between the
cave and the waters edge The ways Of
panthers were well known to the hunter,
rs he had learned them by rough expert
ence. bnt he was so certain that This great
beast that lay stretched at the mouth Of
lis den had died in its effort 10 reach that
retreat that he laid down his gun, ana
taking his knife from its sheath advanced
upon the PROSTATE beast to claim the mag
nil1cent skin as his reward for the loug
chase. He reached the side Of the panther,
and was about 10 bend down and com
mence stripping it of its skin, when the
great beast sprang to its feet as quick as
lightning, and with yell that almost
Aenfened the surprised hunter, threw
itself upon him The force of the
shock threw Brown several feet
away, oil Of the rock. 1t was not
only blow that the panther gave him,
but as the infatuated animal struck it
buried its long claws in the hunters thick
buckskin shirt and ripped it from him
from neck 20 waist Brown still retained
his knife in his grasp and struggled to
quickly regain his feet He rose to his
knees, and rs lie did so the crouchng pan
Their leaDed toward him. Quick a. fash
the wary hunter threw himself on his
back on the ground. But for that the
panther hying through the air with won
derful velocity, would have struck him
and carried him along in the fight As it
was, the panther passed over him
Happily as the panther's leap carried it
through the air, Browns eye and hand
were quicker still The hunters keen
long bladcd knife, thrust upward as the
huge body Of the panther was passing
over him rs he lay, was plunged almost
to the hilt in the animal The thrust was
between the fore legs, but the knife was
not withdrawn, and its keen edge, buried
in the panther's flesh, passed the entire
length of the great animals body, and
the panther fell dead and diSemD0weled
fifteen feet beyond the spot where Brown
lay covered with blood that had poured
upon him from the frigntful wounds OF
his now yanquished foe.
The hunter jumped to his feet, and was
cycling with grim satisfaction the com
pleteness Of his work, when "A cry, IF
which he at once knew the significance,
echoed among The rocks. lie sprang to
where his gun lay, and, Selling it. looked
in the direction of the cry. There. crouch
ing on the summit of Cavern Rock. hel
eyes glazing and her long tail swaying il
that deliberate, snake like movement tina,
denotes the fury of the cat and its kind,
was the mate of the great panther that
had inst met his death The mate plainly
comprehended the situation, and did not
tariy in her efforts for vengeance. With
a frightiul yell she launched herself from
the rocky peak in furious leap for the
hunter, VINO stood near the waters edge.
His bullet met the vengeful panther IN
mid air and passed through her ha.,rt
The impetus of her leap carried herr IN the
spot where she had iptende1 ~ fol, unon
the hunter and bury-.cr fanos in his
throat, but she ieiDdead at the waters
edge where her ee1emy had stood
-lIgf6wn Skinned The two panthers and
Started back for his cabin. The course
he took led him to the spot where the big
panther had buried Samuel Rodgers
sheep that morning AS lie neared it he
heard the growing and snarling made By
panthers while devouring their food. lie
approached cautiously, and peered through
the bushes \ male and female panther
were busily engaged III making meal OH
The sheep. Brown shot one OF the pan
Tiers dead rs it ate Its mate sprane into
the very tree in which the hunter had dis
covered the big one earlier in the day. 1t
paused on branch and looked back at
its dead mate As il eazed Brown re
loaded his rifle The panther in the tree
presented Il favorable mark. Brown fired,
aud the panther fell from limb To limb,
clutching at each in It's death struggles,
and at last tumblcd 10 The ground and
died. -New York sun.