The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-07-20

ing and ran ont, but IN two or three min
utes she was back again with more fury
than ever
now pushed her kitten forward, hop
ing she would be appessed at its restora-
ton It 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 IS hot as an oven,
smelled powerfully smart OF pautheTs,
and the powder smoke almost stifed me.
Being bit ratified had brought on an in
tense thirst, and ] felt that / had got
TO do something pretty soon or suffocate-
Pretty soon l erept forward, and began
pushing at the great carcass, but had not
been engaged over two or three minutes
when the panther returned. She had car
ried her kitten 20 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
ut me, and had not seized the grizzly by
TIE ears and hung on she would have
pulled the body ont of the cave. She
hung to il for half an hour before she
quit the job. and then she retired in a
way which left no doubt that she would
watch at the entrance.
When the panther had gone struck a
match and looked at my watch. 1t was
nearly noon, and ! was really suffering
for water. There was a damp spot on
the rocks over my head, and licked it
with my tongue aud in that way got
some relief. but would have traded my
whole outfit that day FOR one glass Of cool
water. i felt that ! was in a bad box,
and as is generally the case in such in
stances, l thought OF every way out of it,
but the easiest one.
l reloaded my Teyolver, and planned TO
wait until the panther would leave the
neighborhood, but about o'clock / sus-
pected from the movements in the tunnel,
that the one / had encountered had
hunted up her mate and brought him TO
the front. Such soon proved 10 be the
fact, but rs only one could enter the place
at time. it was no advantage to them
They took turns tuSging at the carcass of
the bear, and the new conner would have
dragged il ont in short order but for my
interference.
There was a space of about six inches
between the body and the roof of the
tunnel, and, though the fumes Of the
powder almost choked me, showed my
revolver along until close To the panther.
and theE put two bullets into him. He
let 90 his hold and then backed out, and
the way he did rave up and down that
raNlEc made my hhlr stand
had wounded both, and neither OF
them vcntured into the place again. For
about an hour heard them growing and
snsrling outside, and every click Of their
claws On tne rocks Was plainly audible,
bnt by and 10y they gave II up Is n bad
job and went away.
II was now close to ? O'Clock. and went
at the carcass with the determination To
pIsh it before me. II WAS too late: the
limbs had sti:fened ike sticks, and the
feet caught at every inequality and Tesis-
ted M Efforts. There / was, = man Cf 20,
n giant in strength, born hunter and
Indian fighter, penned up like rat and
just - helpless.
Ii came 10 me, even with all that meat
before me, that i was doomed TO die of
hunger, aaG 1t was onlyas the sun had al
most been lost sight OF outside that COM
mon sense returned 10 my aid. The way
TO nd myself OF that c-rc--s WAS 70 cut II
MP. II ought TO have CccGrrcd TO I:le at
the very outs=t. but the race and close
pursuit had upset me.
had Gtout hunting knife. and had
just begun work on the bear when heard
the voices of Indians outside / also
heard them inside. for one of the fellows
crept into the tunnel a few feet and
shouted in his own Language ohis friends
outside:
at smells very strong Of bear in here.
but the beast doesn't seem to be at
Eor-e."
lie backed ont after hiaging several
missiles At the rear OF the cave, and from
the voices and movements was satisiied
that il was a hunting party numbering
eight or ten persons. They sat down
riSh there for the n ght and built camp
fire, which reflected right into the mouth
Of the tunnel, and kept their chatter
a-going until nearly midnight.
They had three or four dogs with them
and the miserable ours took turns at
sticking .heir heads into tho opening and
trying 10 raise an alarm. One OF the In
dianS encouraged his dog TO enter, and
the animal came almost TO the dead bear,
and raised such fuss that had the red
men been the least suspicious they would
have investigated. did not get a wink
OF sleep that long night, and was a thank
ful man 10 hear the Indians move of in
the morning about sunrise.
They had no sooner departed than fell
to work upon the bear, aud in the course
of half an hour had cut him up so that L
could squeeze out.
As the Indians had gone down the ra-
vine from the mountain / expected that
they would discover my camp and lie in
ambush for me. There was also a hkeli-
hood that the wild beasts had killed both
mules during the night.
Luck was with me, however. The In
dians crossed the valley too high up TO
discover my camp, and found the mules
safe and sound.
That afternoon, as / was looking after
some traps set on n creek about a mile
from camp, found n panther dead in n
thicket. He was an enormous fellow and
had two bullet wounds, and ii did not
need much cogitating toconvince me that
he was the male of the pair which sought
to get at me in the cave
One of the bullets had gone square into
his head, and almost any other animal
would have died ut once, but he had not
only survived it for two or three hours,
but had travelled n long five miles from
the cave.