The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-07-03
A PAN THEIRS LAST LIE e !.

a Woman's Life Saved BY 4 Good Eye
and Sharp Shooting
An Adirondack Guide Relates q City Mans
Exploit in the North Woods, in the State
New York Big Game for a Revolver.
Here is q story which I took down
from the lips Of one Of the Oldest guides
in tho North Adirondack region the
other day.
The best nj arksman I ever saw in
st. Lawrence county was a Buffalo
man named Birgin, who came here a
few years ago with his wife, who was
an invalid. She was threatened with
consumption, and the doctors had adj
vised her to try the air Of the noun
tains. Birgin had a neat log cabin
built about two miles in from here,
early in the spring, and when he had
furnished it handsomely he moved in
with his wife and two servants. He
seemed to have plenty of money and
didn't have anything to do but take
care OF his wife and sketch and write
a3little and practice shooting with a
revolver. He didn't seem to care much
for hunting, and I don't think I ever
saw him use a rife.
4 never could see why he practiced
so much, for he could hit everything
within range that he could see.5
have known a good many crack shots
and seen deal Of close shooting in
my time, but this city man beat them
all. He didn't use any of these new
tangled pistols, but always practiced
with a rather old-fashioned looking
Colts revolver. He always said he
hated to kill anything. He shot to
kill before he left the woods, though.
u was not very busy in the spring
and early summer and went around
with Birgin a good deal. Like every
stranger, he was afraid of the woods
and he paid well for anything that
looked like work.
III. 'sWhen / had nothing particular to do
| used to stroll over to Birgin's cabin
along in the forenoon, when the wealth
er was fine. Then, as his wife contin-
8ued to improve, would take them
farther and farther into the woods;
each time in a new direction. On
these trips always carried my double
barreled muzzl loading shotgun; and
it s worth three Of any breech-l leaders
ever handled. In the left barrel I
always had a heavy charge Of powder
and buckshot, and in the other barrel
a charge of fine bird shot.
Zone afternoon my boy, who was
then a lad Of Is, had been out with
my shotgun. He came home at
night a good deal excited. He had
met some OF the boys and they had
told him about a panther that had
been seen and heard in the neighbour
hood. He talked so much about the
panther that he forgot to tell me he
had fired the charge Of buckshot and
left both barrels Of the gun loaded
with bird shot.
81 didn't take any stock in the
story about the panther and thought
the boys had been trying to scare the
lad. I had never zen a live panther,
and never expected to see one, at least
about here. / thought so little about
it that I didn't mention the matter to
the Birgin people.
1.-The next morning took my shot
gun and went over TO the cabin. Mrs.
Birgin was feeling stronger than usual
that morning, and we walked a long
way from the cabin. One of the serv-
ants went with us and carried big
basket Of provisions. We camped for
lunch in pretty little ravine. After
slun CHI Birgin and myself crossed the
ravine and left the women sitting on
the bank. Birgil. had his revolver in
his belt, as usual, and began hammer
ing on a rock looking for specimens,
and sat looking on. with my. gun
over my knees.
Suddenly [ heard a stir in the I'M
sderbrush on the other side of the RAJ
vine. turned my head and you can
imagine how I felt when / saw full
grown male panther only a few feet
back of where the women sat. It had
probably been attracted by the smell
Of the provisions and was making OBJ
servations.
1 confess I lost my head a little, as
q was not hunting for panthers. My
first thought was to give the panther
q dose of buckshot, and I took quick
aim and let go my left barrel, over the
heads of the women I knew by the
light recoil that something was the
matter with the load, but I could not
understand it. / sent the other charge
instinctively. The panther was. less
than a hundred feet away.
7 GU can ina CINE the effect Of the
bird shot in the face OF a robust and
hungry panther. It simply maddened
him. The beast prepared to spring