The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-11-06

| e"' w LIS oiObIlcr, ana mecnan-
ically put out his elbow, only to prod
that worthy in the ribs and to wake
MIN up also. Both men then suddenly
sat up together and beheld, lying right
at their feet and looking up loneinely at
The string of tempting birds, IN enor-
nous Panther-at least John said il
seemed gigantic. Both gave frightened
yell, and the panther, frightened per-
maps more than they, sprang up, bounded
OIL into the brush and was gone. The
men caught up their rifles and pursued
1t, but not another sight of it did thew
get.
travelling across country one summer
| Gay with several heads of horses, John
made camp as evening approached on
the edge of a thicket of live oak and
mesquite that bordered the Arkansas
/ river bottoms. He tethered the horses
on the open prairie near by and then
went into the thicket for firewood. Re-
turning with small armful and
scrambling through the dense bushes
into small open space, he suddenly
came on large panther lying asleep
full length on the ground, and another
few yards away sitting on its
launches regarding him. The panther
on guard gave muEled purr, and the
other cat sat up quickly and glanced
around. Then it walked lcisurcly
across the small clearing and sat down
by its mate. Neither showed the least
desire to run, and John. taken by sur
prise, stood looking at them, as they at
him. He had no weapons, and he
knew better than to make tracks. For
tunately with the tirewood he had
gathered was a stout mesquite stick,
about as heavy as q base ball bat, and.
taking that in hand for club, started
across the open space past the pam
theirs toward the camp.
The big felines got up, but did not
retreat as he came within forty or fifty
feet of them, and as he struck into the
bushes again the largest one walked
slowly after him, perhaps more in
curiosity than otherwise. John was
within Il hundred yards of camp now
and he made a dash for the prairie,
and l dare say, came as near lowering
the running record for the distance as
the thicket and brush would let him.
AS he burst from the bushes TO whore
his packs and rifle lay another panther,
to all appearance considerably fright
ened, sprang past him into the thicket.
This fellow had been, with spirit of
turning Johns packs
over, had clawed his saddle-bags open
and eaten part OF fresh rabbit that
had been intended for supper. John
quickly buckled on his revolver, seized
his Winchester and started after the
last panther, but could see nothing of
1t. Then he went back to the small
open space where he had seen the two
cats and found they had disappeared
also. He hunted the thicket for half
nile back and forth, till it got too dark
% see, and returning to camp ate
bite of bread and canned stuff and pre-
pared to turn in. Before doing so,
however, he thought of mare and colt
'mong his horses and afraid that the
,anthers might spring On the colt and
trag it beyond reach of the mothers
ether before she could interfere, went
'utand turned the mare loose with
halter on. That night. for the first time
n his life, he had his rifle for bed fell
ow and his siX-shooter where he
ould catch it up in moment.
Nothing disturbed his slumbers [
i'll nearly morning, when he was
uddenly Weakened by commotion
mong the horses and a galloping of i
oofs that came rapidly nearer, and {
he mare and her colt emerged from {
he darkness, dashed forward. almost 1
INNING over him, and then stopped by {
i'm.
With rife in hand he peeped into !
ne darkness. but he could see nothing. j.,
tut the mare had turned about, and :
e observed that the sharper-eyed ami
lal could sec something in the dark ,
ess. John watched her closely and j.
resently she began to show unsual p.
putting her ears back and
tretching out her neck and head,
looking devilish,' us John said. He '
'llowed her glance and then could !,
arely distinguish q dark object close
the ground coming near them. !,
He fired quickly, point blank. The ..
anther raised itself on its hind legs. i.
ither slightly wounded OR stung by
lie dust and gravel that the bullet
licked up. and then, pumping another
'rtridge into his rife, John fired again
ore steadily. There was muffled o
owing and growing and, to use a
9hn's expressive vernacular, that
that painter just cussed his luck fur V
'out a minute, " and then disappeared. t
hen daylight came John took the t
are back among the other horses and
thered her again, and then taking up a
trail of blood where he had shot the Fl
anther followed it for about mile, to
'me suddenly upon the cat stretched q
1t and dying, while another panther r
t near watching it. Two rapid shots d
lied them both. They were probably a
e same two that he had seen the :.
ening before. -
} ohm told me that the most interest
e chase he had ever seen was that of
pack of hounds after panther. The
ght dogs in the pack were powerful
limals. used to rlln down wild hnns Sl