Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-08-03


the head. He could not get the carcass
until we had chopped the stub down
and split it open with wedges.
A couple Of weeks lat hunter
camc along who advi'ed father to give
up clearing for a year or two and trap
and hunt. All sorts Of furs Ind fair
cash value, and the state was paying
bounty on the scalps of wolves hears
and panthers. Tho Indian, who had
taken the body OF the panther off with
him, had made $15 on its soap The
hunter told us how to make rude traps
aud dead falls, and the three Of us were
sooa buy with the game arouud US.
One day found path leading arouad
the edge of the swamp, and tho soil
bore unmistakablo proofs that wild
beasts passed that way. We had heard
the scream of panthers nightly, but
! supposed tho beasts which used this
path were wolves. l had made stout
rope Of hickory peelings, and az favor
able point on the path l bent over stout
sapling, attached my rope, and then
noosed it and carried the trigger TO a
bush, What | wanted now was the
bait, and Gordon furnished that in the
shape of the fore quarter of a deer he
had killed that morning. When the
trap was ready no animal could get at
the bait without putting its head in the
moose. | went to sleep that night
counting on the scalp of a wolf, and
next morning / was off as soon as l
could see my way through tho forest
1t was we'll that was not ten minutes
earlier. was within ten rods of the
trap when l was stopped dead still by
the screams of a panther. / knew tho
beast as soon as he yelled, and it was
easy to conclude that he was in
trouble. ! crept forward very care
fully, hearing great thrashing about
with tho yells, and when l reached a
point where cou'd sec the path l saw
that big panther had noosed himself.
The moose had caught him about the
loins, so far back that he could not get
at the rope to bite it, aad the spring OF
the tree barely permitted him to touch
the earth with his paws now and then.
If the other beast, trapped through
his owl care)e3sncss, was mad, this fell
low, who had become tho victim of a
lput-up job, was furious. All the rage
in his nature dubbed up as he dangled
here and felt that his end was near.
le was at a great disadvantage, of
course, but his struggles were SO vio-
fSpt that l bcclmc alarmed aud ran
4 hay, knowing that if he got loose -
tound tho point Of knife IN MS snOui-
na bo had several scars made by
tbo weapons of tho Indians
We did not catch sight OF a pan'h'
,or several weeks after this adventure
although never night passed that W
ala not hear their screams. n
weather had now come on warm' an
) va could do no moro at trapping
rather fell very sick, and one day aoo'
y IL middle OF June it became plain tn
u bo must have medical assistance at ono
5; r,rdop mounted ono Of the horses ior
a lido to the doctors, u distance OIL 'wel
oe muoa and when night came he had
rotnrred 1t had scarcely grown ia
rs nbou the wild beasts around us beg
sts - howl and roar and skulk about
To- bon.e and after catching sight OF
ny avail wolves l went IN and barred
full door There was only one opening
out = window, and over this was nalle
Gee hlarket 1t was high up from
ON ground. and only about two feet squ
the The horse was in stout pen, anu !
for wo, no fear that he could be got
me, When night had fully settled o0w'
Y at - state OF siage. Wolves tC
ared number of forty or fifty surrounoo0
lred hou,o and growing bolder as
c by 60 md their number increased
,ung mado funou, and repeated etfol
in rorco an entrance. Gordon had
from tbo cun with him, Lut we had
IDLY ayes in the house. Mother stooa
TODD door with one and | delende'
eech. window with the other.
way, wolves gnawed hole in tho
, aud ,brough which one could have
N. INIT for her presence and the
after adced weapon she wiclde'. Ever
KAN stnck into the opening received
wiling and the bafl3d animals many
d the their efforts at that point, al
ockcd mother dared not leave the spot
next tbo wolves had worried US Tor a
devel- without. however, h'ving maa
pom me Of an fort to get in by way Oh
coward dow it being too high Tor the
ne for left us all of a sudden. l theh
me to chest across the floor TO stop
to clear in the door. and mother dl'cove
spring, father was dead. The poor hi'
He had as he was, had not been able !
me over the fright of the attack W.
and as have many minutes Tor lam
nd foot The wolves had given pace
tiers aud DANGEROUS enemy. There wa
atcd to den pounce on the roof over o
move aud accompanied by snarI' ana
away and that panther was at manu-,
saw be- lucky thing for US that IN
own ward of the hut woro either lazy or
ting and ~ and had luilt
gglcd the small fireplace ana
prisoned. chimney. There was
ther and on the hearth and had the
t once, been the ordinary mammoth
attacked, the back wood, we should ha
!, hunt PANTHER on the floor in no ii
as guided first was soon joined by s.
The sharp third, and then two or u
flying all were heard on the ground
bent and have scented the dead OF 'ilc
.+h;,,, of ours rea