St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-06-30

fort pulled it back few inches. Had
not tna space been SO contracted she
could probably have drawn it out, but
she did not have a fair show to use Ter
strength. Her eyes looked at me over
the body of the bear, and if one ever
saw fury it was in those or':s. gave
her couple of shots, hoping to drive
her off. | think [ wounded her in the
head, for she set up terrible scream
ing and ran out, but in two or three
minutes she was back again with more
fury than ever. | now pushed her
kitten forward, hoping she would be
appeased at its restoration. 1t climbed
over the bear and reached her, and she
took it in her mouth and backed out. /
| was pleased man over this result, for
/ the cave was as hot as an oven, smelled
| powerfully stout of panthers, and the
powder smoke almost stified me- Be-
ing bit ratified had brought on an
intense thirst, and felt that I had got
to do something pretty soon or suffo-
cate. Pretty soon | crept forward, and
began pushing at the big carcass,
three minutes when the panther re-
| turned. She had carried her kitten to
place of safety, and was now bent on
| revenge. She realized that the carcass
must be got out of the way before she
could come at me, and had | not seized
the grizzly by the ears and hung on
she would have pulled the body out of
the cave. She hung to it for half an
hour before she quit the job, and then
she retired in way which left no
doubt that she would watch at the
entrance.
When the panther had gone I struck
a match and looked at my watch It
was nearly noon, and was really
suffering for water. There was
damp spot On the rocks over my head,
and licked it with my tongue and in
that way got some relief, but 1 could
have traded my whole outfit that day
for one glass of cool water. | felt that
[ was in bad box, and as is generally
the case in such instances, I thought of
every way out of it but the easiest one.
| reloaded my revolver, and planned to
wait until the panther would leave the
neighborhood, but about two o'clock |
suspected, from the movements in the
tunnel, that the one had encountered
had hunted up her mate and brought
him to the front. Such proved to be
the fact, but as only one could enter
the place at a time, it was
no advantage to them. They
took turns Juggling at the car
cass of the bear, and the new conner
would have dragged it. out in short
order but for my interference. There
was a space of about six inches be-
tween the body and the roof of the tun-
mel, and though the fumes of the pow
der almost choked me, / showed my re-
volver along until close to the panther,
and then put two bullets into him. He
let go his hold and backed out, and the
way he did rave up and down that raw
inc made my hair stand. I had wound
ed both, and neither of them ventured
into the place again. For about an
hour heard them growing and snarl-
ing outside. and every click of their
claws on the rocks was plainly audible, |
but by and by they gave it up as bad |
job and went away.
It was now close on to three o'clock,
and | went at the carcass with the de- |
termination to push it before me. 1t |
was too late; the limbs had stiffened |
like sticks, and the feet caught at every
and resisted my efforts. I
There | was, a man of thirty, a giant
in strength, a born hunter and Indian |
fighter, penned up like rat and just
as helpless. 1t came to me, even with
all that meat before rue, that / was
doomed to die of hunger, and it was
only as the sun had almost been lost
sight of outside that common sense re-
turned to my aid. The way to rid my.
self OF that carcass was TO cut
it up. 1t ought to have occurred to
me at the very outset, but the race and
close pursuit had upset me- / had a
stout hunting knife, and had just be-
gun work on the bear when I heard
,he voices of Indians outside. I also
heard them inside, for one of the fell
ows crept into the tunnel few feet
ind shouted in his own language to his
friends outside:
1T smells very strong of bear in
lere, but the beast doesn't seem to be
1t home"
He backed out after finging several
missiles at the rear of the cave, and
rom the voices and movements / was
atisfed that it was a hunting party
numbering eight or ten persons. They
at down right there for the night and
,uilt a camp fire, which reflected right
nto the mouth of the tunnel, and kept
heir chatter a-going until nearly mid
light. They had three or four dogs
With them, and the miserable ours took
urns at sticking their heads into the
pening and trying to raise an alarm.
)ne of the Indians encouraged his dog
0 enter, and the animal came almost
0 the dead bear, and raised such a |
uss that had the red men been the