The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-09-06
Thrilling Adventure Of an Old Hunter
in the Seven Mountains.


that John A. Fetterolf, of Troxel-
vile, had hada thrilling adventure in
the Seven Mountains, and we sought
an interview with the veteran deer
slayer with the following result in
his own words:
Il was coming home from the
Weiker run lumber job, where 1 am
employed as teamster. and left
camp Mt little before seven o'clock
in the evening of Thursday, August
%, for my home near Troxelville.
IL grew pitch dark before had come
half way across the mountains, but
as know every foot of ground in
that section, and had followed the
same trail dozens of times before, /
paid little attention to my course
which wound around and over the
mountains, through thick laurel and
beneath tall hemlocks. When ap-
proaching what l thought was
Buck Notch well known to hun
ters, / noticed that / was mistaken
in the place and had lost my way.
tried to locate myself by the
drafts in the mountains running
parallel, but the darkness was SO in
tense that | could not distinguish an
object three feet away. I wasted no
time but started back directly as |
had come, only to find myself tray
cling over strange ground and climb
ing over rocky lodges, which, in my
now thoroughly bcfuddled brain /
thought L had never seen before. |
thus vainly sought my path for sew
eral hours. when | concluded to call,
thinking that might have wandered
back to camp near enough to be
heard The first call / made was
promptly answered by voice way
up the mountain side. l called
again, and the echo had not yet died
out when response came. / started
in all haste for the direction from
which the voice came but my prog
ress was much impeded by the thick
underbrush, and had hardly gone
hundred yards when stopped and
called again. The response chilled
my very soul, and the horrible
thought of having lured dangerous
wild animal to me by my calls made
my hair stand up Twas sure it was
not human voice and | stood and
listened while my heart beat so /
could hardly keep my feet. Pres
emily / heard whining in the brush
close by that much resembled the
noise made by young dogs, and l
turned i'll the direction but could see
nothing. The thought of an old
panther and her young flashed
across my mind. / well knew it was
too late to run. | reached for my
matchbox to kindlc II fire, when it
occurred to me that i'll changing my
apparel had laid it on n bench in the
shanty and went away without it.
Oh, how / wished for II match and
how hard l searched III the pockets
and even in the lining of my vest for
one, but / could find none. There
was nothing left me for defense but
rusty old Barlow knife, and l
brandished it and began to feel my
way to the nearest tree. had hard
ly moved out of my tracks when n
low, purring noise came from the
ground near my feet and two bright
little eyes shone III my face l was
positive it was young panther and
before thinking of consequences 1
gave it violent kick. It's screams of
pain were answered by the piercing
yells of the mother now not thirty
feet from me, and for the first time
showed me her large fiery eyes. /
had now located her and l never
took my eyes from her-knowing full
well that she would not spring on me
as long as l faced her. Hours, which
seemed days to me, rolled by, when
at last greyish tint in the east an
nounced the advent of day, and the
two dazzling, yellow eyes disappear
ed and the cat-ike purring of the
young ceased. A Alittlereconnoitering
enabled me to locate myself. was
in Wolf Swamp, and had made an
almost complete circle of many
miles-for had / continued on my
journey a mile further 1 would
have got back to camp. II is the
first time / was ever lost i'll the
mountains, and I hope the good
Lord will save me from another such
an experience