The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-07-26
A FEARFUL SIEGE.

A FEARFUL SIEGE.
The capital of Michigan had scarcely
been changed from Detroit to Lansing
before my father got the fever to go
West. Wo were then living in New
York State, and doing fairly we'll on a
farm, but the talk about Michigan up
set many q man who was then well
enough of. / was IA years old the day
we left for the West-father, mother,
four children, and hired man. ALI of
US, clear down to the baby, were en-
thasiastic and full of hope, and father
was just the sort of man the Detroit
lsnd sharks were looking for. They
sold him a swamp farm in Shiawassee
county, and in one way and another,
cheated AID dsfrauded him, until we
reached our destination with hardly q
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.
1t is not, however, Of our family
troubles am going to talk. Michigan
was great game country at that date,
and we soon discovered that we had To-
Gated pretty near head quarters. Inside
of three days we had seen q panther,
three wolves, bear, lynx, and an Ip-
dian devil. Our nearest neighbor was
ten or twelve miles away, and the near
est village about twenty. We were
dead stark alone in tho midst Of great
wildsrnesA and, aside from all other
perns, the indians, whU7 3cru go. ally
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
our COW aud ran her off into Ingham
county, where we accidentally found
her two years later; and inside of a
week they made several attempts to get
the horses. It was not until fred upon
that they left US in peace, and thcn the
wild beasts and reptiles took hold. Our
hut stood within 200 feet of the edge OF
great swamp, and the swamp was
headquarters for rattlesnakes, blue
racers, black snakes, bears, panthers,
wolves and every other creature belong
ing to the country. During the first
week of our stay We killed upward Of
hundred snakes. most Of them rattlers
and Gordon, tho hired man, who was a
good shot, killed bear and three
wolves.
Our adventures with the panthers
were many and perilous, as the beasts
seemed determined not to leave the To-
cality. Tho first time I saw one my
life was preserved in a most wonderful
manner. We had been located about
10 days, and were clearing up a piece
Of land about quarter of q mile from
the house. Father was sick in the
house, Gordon was off after deer for
meat, and Twas in the clearing alone,
having light axe and cutting away al
the small trees. The only thing ! feared
was the snakes, having been assured
that no wild beasts would attack me by
daylight. In cutting down young
bosch tree it fell upon an iron wood in q
way to break it off about 10 feet from
the ground and leave the trunk badly
splintored. This splintered trunk stood
about IA feet from q very large beech.
had noticed it only in a general way,
as had set myself stint to do, and
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 crawling
at my feet, when scream filed the
woods, something hit and knocked
me fiat on my face, and next
instant q wonderful situation was devel-
oped. A panther had sprung upon mt
from the largo beech tree. The coward
had no doubt been watching me fol
long time and had waited for me t.
got my back to him. He meant to cleal
the splintered ironwood in his spring,
but he did not quite succeed. He had
struck me with his paw rolling me over
but not hurting me to speak of, and a.
he came down his right hind foo
caught between two great splinters and
held him fast. Then was treated to ,
circus / was TOO scared to move ant
stood not more than ten feet away and
witnessed what nobody ever saw be
fora The beast hung head downward
in the air, clawing and splitting ant
yelling, and the harder he struggled tn
more securely was his foot imprisoned
Such screams and ysllsl Father ant
mother came running at once
supposing l was attacked
and an Indian who was hunt
ing mile or more distant was guidet
to the spot by the racket Tho sharl
claws sent spliuters Of wood flying al
about and the 1.-THE body bent ant
twisted like snake. We had NO gun
and father was too weak to venture +
use the axe. wo were. therefore. stand