The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-02-26

ing Joe. But the Yaqui was absent, and
it was two days before he again put in an
appearance. When he did so he showed
signs of dissipation, but, as it was known
that he would have been unable to reach
any place where whisky was to have
been obtained without the miners learn
ing of it, this condition was attributed to
his experience with the panther at the
time the chlld was rescued or after he
had followed it from Stapley's place.
Nothing could induce Joe to converse on
the subject until some weeks afterward,
when one of the miners killed a panther,
over which fact the Yaqui gricved great
ly and stated that the animal was his
friend and the one from which he saved
the little child.
The next winter was a dry one and the
placers did not pan out well, so Ralph
Smith, who is yet resident and prom
inent citizen of Arizona, organized q
party of ten men, Panther Joe being of
the number, to prospect for gold in the
Mongolian Mountains.
One evening, few days after reaching
the desired locality and making camp,
Smith and a companion named Phil Teal,
while returning to supper from disap-
pointing examination of gulch which
from all appearances gave much promise
of containing gold, had their attention
suddenly attracted to the bottom land OF
mountain stream by humdrum, mo-
notonous song, followed by particularly
hearty laugh. Feeling the necessity of
ascertainiug if Indians had camp in that
vicinity, they cautiously penetrated a will
low thicket in the direction Of the sound.
When they reached the creek they
found themselves at the edge of a green
open space in the shape of an amphithea-
tre-a bend in the stream and high pre-
cipitous walls of rock, vari- -colored with
MOSES and delicate mountain wild flow
ers, forming an almost perfect circle. In
its wild beauty and usual solitude the
scene would have been sufficiently strik-
ing and romantic, but a central group
served to make the picture one of the
most peculiar that the eye of man ever
gazed upon.
Thet prospectors were amazed, awe
stricken and spell-bound, for sitting on
rock in the grassy glen was "Panther
Joe" holding switch in his hand and
in peculiar gibberish compelling large,
full-grown female cougar-the dreaded
American lion-to circle around him in
the manner of circus horse. With young
at her side there is not more dangerous
or fierce animal to be found in the wilds
of the American continent than the
cougar, and this one not only had a whelp,
but, what was more marvellous, it was
riding on her back, where placed by the
Indian. The mother watched Joes face
as bird-dog does that of its master, and
its submission was more through fear thai
inclination. The reverse was true with
the young one, which entered heartily
into the enjoyment of the romps and
would leap from its mothers lack into
Joe's lap, only to be returned again to its
perch and exercise of bareback riding.
Joe would laugh loudly at these play
full antics, which afforded him the great
est amusement, and to all appearances
he was free from apprchensions of
danger, although he had a watchful eye
upon the mother, and kept up that con-
slant, weird and peculiar chant which
first attracted the two mountaineers. To
them the scene was more wonderful than
any described in the "Ara5ian Nights"
and, while at first, they were held spell
bound by strange fascination, their
natural feelings soon asserted themselves.
To play with an animal which would
stcalthily pursue human being, pounce
upon him, feed on his flesh and drink Of
his blood was unnatural; it was disgust
ing and revolving sorccry, and the one
who possessed such powers and took such
enjoyment deserved to live no more than
did the brute itself.
The report of Teal's rifle range
through the mountains and forests, was
echoed and re.echoed from hundred
canyons, and the lioness lay dead at the
Yaqui's feet. Quickly crossing the creek
Smith killed the young one with his pis-
tol and then the two men most severely
and reprimanded Joe for his
conduct, telling him that in attracting
the stealthy and voracious animal to the
vicinity of the camp he was endangering
the lives of every member of the party,
as in an unexpected moment any one was
likely to be attacked by it and killed.
The Yaqui was also terribly indignant;
his frame shook, his eyes flashed fire, like
the animals with which he had been asso-
ciating, and he was scarcely able to artic-
llate. Making 'hasty and sorrowful
look at his two dead pets he told the
prospectors, in voice mixed with indig- :
nation and contempt, that a big cat was
no worse than a house cat, and if treated
the same would do no more Injury, and
started off.
When Smith and Teal reached camp it
was to find that Joe had rolled up his
blankets and departed, whether no one
knew
After the discovery of the Tombstone
mines ''Panther Joe" again appeared in
the territory, and for several years was
by the large companies operat-
ing there. When Coles circus was in
San Francisco in 1880 Joe contracted,
through friend, for the delivery to them
of two panthers for the sum of $500. In !
going East the circus company side
tracked a car, with cage, at Dragons
summit to receive the animals, and the |
man in charge was surprised to learn that
Joe had them a mile from that station, |