Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-04-28

| the cave. Brown clamDered along the
rocks which hugged the water SO closely
| that passage was difficult and dangerous,
and at last reached the fiat rock which
covers space of several feet between the
cave and the waters edge. The ways of
panthers were well known to the hunter,
as he had learned them by rough expert
| ence; but he was so certain that this great
beast that lay stretched at the mouth of
its den had died in its effort TO reach that
retreat that he laid down his gun, and
taking his knife from its sheath advanced
upon the prostrate beast to claim the mag
! nificent skin as his reward for the long
chase He reached the side of the panther,
and was about to bend down and com
mence stripping it CT its skin, when the
great beast sprang to its feet as quick as
lightning, and with yell that almost
deafened the surprised hunter, threw
itself upon him. The force of the
shock threw Brown several feet
away, off of the rock. 1t was not
only blow that the panther gave him,
but as the infuriated animal struck it
buried its long claws in the hunters thick
buckskin shirt and ripped it from him
from neck to waist Brown still retained
his knife in his grasp and struggled to
quickly regain his feet. He rose to his
knees, and as he did so the crouching pan
ther leaped toward him. Quick as flash
the wary hunter threw himself on his
back on the ground. But for that the
panther, flying through the air with won
derful velocity, would have struck him
and carried him along in the flight. As it
was, the panther passed over him.
Rapidly as the panther's leap carried it
through the air, Browns eye and hand
were quicker still. The hunters keen,
long bladed knife, thrust upward as the
huge body of the panther was passing
over him as 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not withdrawn, and its keen edge, buried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 disemboweled
fifteen feet beyond the spot where Brown
lay covered with blood that had poured
upon him from the frightful wounds of
his now vanquished foe.
The hunter jumped to his feet, and was
cycling with grim satisfaction the COM
pleteness of his work, when cry, of
which he at once knew the significance,
echoed among the rocks. He sprang 70
where his gun lay. and, seizing it, looked
in the direction of the cry. There, crouch
ing on the summit of Cavern Rock, her
eyes glaring and her long tail swaying in
that deliberate, snake like movement that
denotes the fury Of the cat and its kind,
was the mate Of the great panther that
had Just met his death. The mate plainly
comprehended the situation, and did not
tarry in her efforts for vengeance With
a frightful yell she launched herself from
the rocky peak in furious leap for the
hunter, who stood near the waters edge
His bullet met the vengeful panther in
mid air and passed through her heart
The impetus of her leap carried her to the
spot where she had intended TO fall upon
the hunter and bury her fangs in his
throat, but she fell dead at the waters
edge, where her enemy had stood
Brown 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 he neared it he
heard the growing and snarling made by
panthers while devouring their food He
approached cautiously, and peered through
the bushes. A male and female panther
were busily engaged in making meal off
the sheep. Brown shot one of the pan
thers dead as it ate. Its mate sprang into
the very tree in which the hunter had dis
covered the big one earlier in the day II
paused on branch and looked back at
its dead mate. As it gazed Brown re-
loaded his rifle. The panther in the tree
presented Il favorable mark. Brown fired.
and the panther fell from limb to limb
at each in its death struggles.
and at last tumbled to the ground and
died.-New York Sun