The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-10-17
LuM WILLIAMS CLOSE CALL.
He Had to whip His Weight in Wild
Cats Before He Was Safe.

Lum Williams, an Old moDntalneer
and hunter, of Panther Mountain.
had an adventure few days since
which he will not soon forget.
~ he sat on the porch of Farmer
Peters and told the story, he was the
picture OF about as badly dilapidated q
specimen Of humanity as one sees in
life time. One arm was carried in a
sling. his right leg rested upon a stool
wrapped from thigh 10 ankle with
linen cloths, while his face, once
smooth and fresh. Notwithstanding
his age OF over hall century. had
the appearance OF having been cult
waited with a fine-pronged garden rake
from his hair 20 his coat collar.
Il WAS going up the mountain on a
squirrel hunt with my two squirrel
dogs, snap ana Mig said the old
mountaineer. we had gone about a
mile, and had killed five or six
squirrels, when SNAP began to bark in
fierce way about 100 yards off, Be
fore ! GOT 10 the dog Mig had joined
him, ana the two kept up terrible
racket
hurried on, expecting TO find that
they had freed coon OF holed fox.
when / got to the spot / found the
dogs had holed some animal in a
hollow, rotten log The log was pop
lar. and about - feet long, with hole
nearly foot IN diameter at the mouth.
| The dog wouldn't 90 in. | thought
| that strange as they never before went
back on a fight with coon, and that
was what I thought was in the log. so
! tried 10 poke the coon, as | supposed
il was, ont Of the hole, bat the only
pole ! could get wouldn't reach. Find
ing I couldn't move the game tha;
way. threw down the pole and exam
ined the log soon discovered that
il was very rotten and that there was
| crack Ia ii about hall way down.
made up my mind 10 try and pry that
log open. and | am sorry 20 say ! sue
| cee,ied.
Almost as soon as got stick in
the crack and began 70 pry. the con
founded thing few apart and out
sprang three laundering big cata-
mounts. Great Scott how they did
pitch into u. Two of them sprang Al
ine. enc seized INV left arm near the
| shoaller and ripped Il from shoulder
| toswrist with hts long claws. | struck
az the bysiies with the heavy oak stick
/ held. aud BIZ good luck knocked one
OF them over just as the other enc
| iumpei AZ my face. | couldn't stor
| him. and he came down on my face
With both claws, ripping through the
/ skin and flesh ike red-hot irons. just
| then snap caught the cat hy the fians
and pulled him OF. That saved ne
| The dog and cat rolled over and over
on tie ground while was trying my
| best. with tie blood pouring down ny
| face 10 get o blow IN on tire cat.
| succeeded At last Ia striking il across
/ the small al The hack as IL rolled oyei
on top 81 the Goy. That blow hrok,
| IL hack. lsti il had done for the dog
| which wa torn almost into ribbons.
| II had overlooked the one | strack
Ian the arst place aud Is this time ths
| Internal brute had got on is ieet ant
! -praug on mc Wsi as ! raised from
| striking fhe other one. This fellow
ldi3 Uot ger q fair bold on me. bat b,
got close enough 80 rip my leg from
thisa So cail With his claws strucs
10 IS tine face with thc end OF the club
and ss L dropped e. the ground
tthreH uly WhQ.vlercv In blow Nii.cl
| I delivered anon It's head knoe k5GS
over on rs b4cs. ana best Il 9.
death,
The eat which bad jumped 81 sh'
iGaes in Ike lrst place / HOW saW lyln.
laf04t ~ fett away, aifh >iC bollinl
lie IS tar tar12t The gai vas dead
land 80 was t.le deg, Whs ) las with en-
1 trails torn out, but Stiii with g deati
erir on tae throat 81 The C4t. Il th
aos ha ever LED 50 Of lnat ca3 ] wQul.
4 have been finished between theln, a
sss. after iie Jeht was eyee f&inte,
| with p8sB sna ips- 81 blood, and say
| suppose on she ground ioE an hou1 .
/ mafe. Whea came e. dragged nay
| >e.l 81 The road. hzli a nlle away
where golssj water With which
hsfaej nty Napnds. Luckle 1ar IA
| Peters here. happeued 10 come a4eul
land hF.tnrhi me "a Ia, house.
i 4 have had many close lights il
mv unae with bears, paathers ans
iwli&eats .a these mountains, bat tAE
orle vas the closest call / ever had
and Ii ga, sli owing o. ths fast that
nea3ecteB % rake knife OF pistol Wl;.