The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-08-22
IN A MAINE PANrHER's DEN.
A Thrilling Adventure of Hunters on
Kennebago Mountain.
Forest and Stream.l


1t was growing toward night and we were
on top of barren mountain; but we had
great hopes that by pressing on with our
utmost speed we might cross the top and
descend far enough on the opposite side to
reach the timber, and so make a fire and
shelter for the night. A stifed cry caused
me to stop and look around, as was little
In advance Of Mr.. Prentice, who had fallen
into crevice or fssure little on one side
from the path l had taken; and in answering
his call found he had slipped down fifteen
or twenty feet In narrow seam in the ledge,
and was sitting on a shelf of the rock that
protruded out over large, dark place. which
appeared to be room. / asked him if he
was much hurt, and he said he had sprained
his wrist-he guessed that was ALL worked
myself down toward him with difficulty, and
found 1t next to impossible for us to get up
again that way; so, worming our way care
fully down by stepping on and clinging to
projecting spurs Of the ledge, we soon found
ourselves in a large room, and fearing to
advance In the darkness, gathered some
dry sticks and leaves that had fallen or been
blown into the crevice and lighted a torch.
The room itself was oblong, perhaps
2Ox4Oft., and its irregular sides might be 2Oft.
high. We did not stop long to examine the
beauties of the cave, feeling it possible that
we were prisoners in this lonesome den, but
began to search for some opening to make
our way out; but what was our surprise and
horror on looking about to find bones and
skulls of animals scattered rromiscuously
about the place, some of which were very
large and different from anything we had
ever seen before, although we had hunted
and killed all kinds of wild animals in
digenous to this part of the country.
Going around the unequal sides of the room
we discovered passage way, long and
narrow, leading into another apartment,
through which ran small steam or brook
out of whose sands we brought away
and listening we could hear the growing
and snarling OF some large animal, which APP
peared to be some distance further into the
mountain. This gave us quite an impetus to
escape If possible from our seeming prison.
Creeping along a well-worn pathway on
the south side OF the cave, we discovered
glimple Of daylight in the distance, and lost
no time in following the pathway out to the
light. We were not, however, one moment
too soon, fer the animal, whatever it was,
had discovered us by scent or our talking,
and came toward US fercely growing and
gnashing his teeth, until we had gained the
open air through what appeared to be
common pathway for wild beasts.
We made the best Of our way down the
side Of the mountain until we reached the
timber, when we cut spruce and white birch
and made a roaring fire, stripped ourselves
of our outer garments, and commenced the
process OF drying our clothes and cooking
our supper, after which we laid our tired
bodies down to rest and sleep. Although
the stream in the ravine besides which we
were sleeping roared like the elements in q
thunder storm, and the wind howled among
the eraggy rocks of the steep mountainside,
and the proximity of wild beasts we had
heard, all would, in the beginning of our
Journey, have keep sleep far from us, and a
scary night of frightful visions before us, we
slept on, and awoke in early morning re-
freshed and ready to devour our frugal meal.
After breakfast, our courage being some
what renewed, and the morning clear, said
10 look # over III OaST We 'ns said eaYe r. ana
you feel like it, and have got some bullets
left, am willing, but we may have some
serious business with that yarmint that
followed us out last a night e.h, I'VE must run
lifetime, and too good to be lost" So we
were soon climbing up the steep sides of the
mountain on our back tracks again, with a
sood-sized roll Of birch bark for a torch.
db tlc tubIduC6 We came out OIL
the night before, we were amazed at the
perpendicular height Of the mountain over
our heads, very near seventy-five feet, along
the whole side as far as we could see' Had
we not come down the crevice into the cave
and out on the lower side, we should have
had to 60 the length of the mountain around
to get down its steep side.
We now lcut stick three feet long and
split one end Of 1t, and filled the split with
the bark, touched math, and started in.
watching ,forl signs beside the little stream
that ran along the passageway, we discovered
In the golden sand a footprint Of a large
animal with long toenails or claws-a round
loot pressed deeply in, as If the creature was
a a. heavy fellow. We also saw lesser tracks
in the sand of various animals; some we
thought were of the loup cervier, others,
bear. wolf. badger; in fact it was we'll
trodden path into the cave. The avenue we
were following narrowed after leaving the
brook, so that We had to stoop and sometime
crawl through narrow holes. After going
loot. or more we came into another room,
not so large as the first, but darker and
covered over the top with small stalactites
and on the bottom with bones and skulls
much the same as the first.