The Grenada gazette., 1888-07-05


she did not have fair show TO use ber
strength. Her eyes looked at me over
the body of the bear, and If one ever
saw fury it was in those oras. l gave
her n couple of shots, hoping to drive
her off. / think l wounded her in the
head. for she set up terrible scream
ing and ran out, but in two or three
minutes she was back again with more
fury than ever. l now pushed her
kitten forward, hoping she would be
appeased at its restoration. 1t climbed
over the bear and reached her, and she
took it in her mouth and backed out.
was a pleased man over this result, for
the cave was as hot as an oven, smelled
powerfully stout of panthers, and the
powder smoke almost stihed me. Be-
ing bit ratified had brought on an
intense thirst, and felt that | had got
to do something pretty soon or sutfo-
cate. Pretty soon crept forward, and
began pushing at the big carcass,
but had not been engaged over two or
three minutes when the panther re-
turned. She had carried her kitten to
a place OF safety, and was now bent on
revenge. She realized that the carcass
must be got out of the way before che
could come at me, and had | not seized
the grizzly by the ears and hung on
she would have pulled the body out of
the cave. She hung to it for half an
hour before she quit the job, and then
she retired in way which left no
doubt that she would watch at the
entrance.
When the panther had gone l struck
a match and looked at my watch 1t
was nearly noon, and | was really
suffering for water. There was a
damp spot on the rocks over my head,
and licked it with my tongue and in
that way got some relief, but | could
have traded my whole outfit that day
for one glass of cool water. | felt that
| was in a bad box, and as is generally
the case in such instances, thought of
every way out of it but the easiest one.
| reloaded my revolver, and planned to
wait until the panther would leave the
neighborhood, but about two o'clock !
suspected, from the movements in the
tunnel, that the one had encountered
had hunted up her mate and brought
him to the front. Such proved to be
the fact, but as only one could enter
the place at a time, it was
no advantage to them. They
took turns tugging at the car
cass of the bear, and the new conner
would have dragged it out in short
order but for my interference. There
was a space of about six inches be-
tween the body and the roof of the tun-
mel, and though the fumes of the pow
der almost Chokod me, ! showed my re-
volver along until close to the panther,
and then put two bullets into him. He
let go his hold and backed out, and the
way he did rave up and down that raw
inc made my hair stand. had wound
ed both, and neither of them ventuned
into the place again. For about an
hour heard them growing and snarl-
ing outside, and every click of their
claws on the rocks was plainly audible,
but by and by they gave it up as a bad
job and went away.
1t was now close on to three o'clock,
ard | went at the carcass with the de-
termination to push it before me. 1t
as too late; the limbs had stitTened
like sticks, and the feet caught at every
and resisted my efforts
There | was, a man of thirty, a giant
in strength, born hunter and Indian
fighter, penned up like rat and just
as helpless. 1t came to me. even with
all that meat before Ine. that | was
doomed to die of hunger and it was
only as the sun had almost been lost
sight Of outside that common sense re-
turned to my aid. The way to rid my
self of that carcass was 70 cut
it up. 1t ought to have occurred to |
me at the very outset, hut the race and |
close pursuit had upset me. had a
stout hunting knife, and had Just be- |
gun work on the bear when | heard |
the voices Of Indians outside. | also |
heard hem inside, for one of the fell
,,,t,. ., Il E
ard shouted in his own language to his
friends outside:
1T smells very strong Of bear in
here, but the beast doesn't seem to be |
at home
He backed out after tlinging several
missiles at the rear of the cave, and |
from the voices and movements was
that it was a hunting party
eight or ten persons. They |
sat down right there for the night and
built camp fire. which reflected right
into the mouth of the tunnel, and kept |
their chatter a-going until nearly mid
night. They had three or four dogs
with them, and the miserable ours took |
turns at sticking their heads into the
opening and trying to raise an alarm.
One of the Indians encouraged his dog
to enter, and the animal came almost
10 the dead bear, and raised such
Fuss that had the red men been the
east Osuspicious they would have
| did not get a