The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-10

den had only by he greatest exertion sue
ceeded in reaching even tae entrance OF It's
lair before dying. that he laid down his
gun, and taking his knife from its sheath
advanced to claim the magnificent skin of
his victim as the reward of his proves.
He reached the side If the PROSTATE beast
and was bending down to commence strip
ping it of its skin, when the panther sprang
to its feet as quick as Lightning, and with
a yell that almost deafened the surprised
hunter threw itself upon him. Tie force
OF the shock hurled Brown clear off the
rock. !. 1t was not merely a blow the
panther had given him. but it had buried
Its long claws in the hunters thick buck
skin shirt and ripped it from him from neck
to waist. Brown retained bis knife in his
grasp, and struggled to quickly regain his
feet. He got as far as to sitting posture,
and it was fortunate chat lie got no higher,
for the crouching panther leaped the instant
he arose. Quick as a flash Brown threw
himself on his back on the ground. But
for that the pa ther, flying through the air
with wonderful velocity, would have struck
would have been the hunters last.
As it was, the panther passed ever
him. Rapidly as the panther's leap carried
it through the air, Browns eye and hand
were quicker still. The hunters keeI long
bladed knife, thrust upward as the huge
body of the panther was passing over him
as he lay on his back, was plunged almost
to the hllJ between the pauther's fore legs.
The knife was not withdrawn, and the keen
blade buried in the animals flesh, passed
the entire length of the panther's belly, and
the great savage creature fell dead and dis
emboweled on the edge of the creek several
feet beyond where the hunter lay deluged
with blood from the frightful wound he had
given his ceSperate foe.
Brown jumped to his feet and was eye
ing with grim satisfaction the completeness
of his WORK, when a cry, Of which he at
once knew the significance, echoed among
tho rocks. He spraug to where his gun lay,
and as he seized it there appeared on the
summit of Cavern rock, her eyes glaring
and her long tail swayiug in that dellber-
ate, saake-fke movement that denotes the
fury or ealthiness Of the cat and its kind,
the Infatuated mate of the great panther
that had Just met its death. The mate
plainly conprehended the situation, aud
did not tarry in showing that she would
at least attempt vengeance. Crouching
for second or two at the top of the
rock she gave utterance to a frightfuil yell
and launched herself in a mighty leap for
the hunter, who had quickly taken posi-
ton near the waters edge. His bullet met
the vengeful panther in mdair, and passed
through her heart. The impetus of her leap
carried her to the spot she had aimed for,
but she fell dead where her enemy had
stood.
Brown started back for his cabin aft8r
skinning the two panthers, and his course
took him to the spot where the big panther
had buried the stolen sheep that morning.
As he neared it he heard the growing and
snarling made by panthers while devouring
their food. He approached cautiously and
peerad through the bushes A male and
female panther were busily engaged in
making a meal of of the remains of
the sheep, which they had exhumed.
Brown shot one of the pan
theirs dead as it ate. Its mate sprang
into the very tree in which he had
discovered the big panther earlier in
day. 1t paused on branch and looked
back on its dead mate. As it gazed Brown
reloaded his rife. The panther in the tree
did not know the danger it was in, for it
did not move. Brown fred TIE panther
fell from limb to limb, clutching at each in
its death struggles, and at last tumbled to
the ground dead at the hunters feet.
Brown always" considered that mornings
work the greatest exploit of his life, and it
was his boast until lie died that no other
hunter has Travelled twenty such miles as
be did that day, had as close call for his
life, and fetch home four big panther skins,
all inside OF six hours which was the time
between the hour he left his cabin on that
hunt and the hour he got back and threw
the skins on the cabin floor"