The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-20
IN A PANTHER'S CLUTCH,
Tho Narrow Escape of Two Cattle Hunt
ers in Florida Hammock.

Tho Narrow Escape of Two Cattle Hunt
ers in Florida Hummock.
Jim Duke and Ben Pittmore were out the
other day after some stray cattle, and about
noon sat down in little cleared spot in the
hummock under an immense oak tree, says
a Sweetwa.er Fla.) special to the st. Louis
Globe Democrat. The branches were thick
overhead, and the cool shade made them
drowsy. After getting their dinner they
stretched themselves at full length under
the branches and soon were snoring Justify.
All at once terrible scream broke in upon
their dreams. and both hastily jumped up,
still half asleep, to hear the horrible pam
theirs wall. 1t sounded almost overhead,
and, as the startled hunters glanced around,
their sharp vision caught the fierce CLEANS
from the panther's dancing eyeballs. There
it was, not over twenty feet above them,
sitting on big limb. crounching down, its
long, huge body lying close to the limb, its
head fixed in their direction. while its lurid
eyes flashed fire; its tail switched nervously
from side to side, sounding ominouSly as it
struck the wood resounding blows.
Get out OF here" cried the Duke, as his
half-Scattered senses realized the danger.
Get, Ben. or We'll have more'n we want"
AS if his words Infatuated the already mad
dened beast, long, fierce scream answered
him. and then, with a snar. the long, red
body leaped down at them. Both men hasti-
ly leaped around the tree and thus saved
themselves from its bloody and deadly
clutch. The panther failed in its first leap,
turned around with Snarl of concentrated
rage and anger and sprang into a smaller
tree near by and assembled into its top and
then faced the men, uttering a scream of de-
fance as it sharpened its long aud terrific
claws on the bark of the tree.
Hardly giving its antagonist time to think
over its presence, the big cat again sprang
cut into the air with wild cry and landed
a stlff
Duke down and badly scratching Fillmore.
The latter fired at the beast hastily, but so
hurriedly that it made only flesh wound,
and the wounded beast plunged around
in her madness, happily throwing Duke fur
Their off from her. Jumping TO his feet, Duke
caught up his rifle and fired at its head, but
succeeded only in making big hole in her
ear.
The panther now sprang again at Pitt
more and pinned him to the ground, her
teeth catching in mis- tough skin coat. He
struggled fiercely as he fell, and in the
out Duke fired again, and this time put a
bullet in the beasts body. Pttmore had
his knife out by this time and was trying to
carve up the beast. The panther screamed
and srarled while 1t fought with Pittmore.
but receiving an unusually heavy cut in the
ribs, leaped up and again climbed the tree.
Pittmore WAS sight by this time, his
heavy skin coat being almost torn off him,
while the blood was dripping from numer-
Gus ugly scratches. But lie was game. and,
getting his gun, he rushed up to the foot of
the tree, and, aiming at the animals gleam-
ing eyes, just seen through the thick leaves.
fired. An angry scream followed, and then
the huge body tumbled down out of the
tree badly wounded but sill in shape to do
much damage il the hunters once got within
its reach, the shot breaking its torelegs in
stead of hitting it in the head.
Duke unwitJingly got too near it and in an
instant the beasts ferocious teeth had
elasped his clothes, and had begun drawing
him up nearer. Help. Ben!' he cried,
this Internal she cat is diggn' me-" Ben
rushed up. and putting his rifle close to the
beasts head, pulled the trigger, and
she rolled over dead. Both men were
pretty badly handled, but they were well
compensated, they thought, by the
glory gained in giving such ferocous cat
its quietus. 1t measured 10 feet l q inches
from the tip of Its nose to the end of its tail,
and when stuffed ii looked as big as a full
grown lion and presented a very ferocious
aspect. On searching the vicinity of its den
two young cubs were found, which ac-
counted for the mothers attack on the men.
They were killed and their pelts taken
along to corrohorate the hunters statement.
A young girl rode her horse in through
store doorway at Lynchburg, Va, the
other afternoon, made her purchases, said
good-by and backed gracefully out