Thomas County cat., 1890-07-24
a Remarkable s. .aot.

L
lawrence county," the Adirondack
ouide said, "was q Buffalo man named
8irpin, who came here few years ago
With his wife. She was threatened
with consumption, and the doctors had
advised her to try the air Of the noun
tains. Birgin had neat log cabin
built about two miles in from here
early in tho epring, 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 a lit
tie and practice shooting with a re-
vOlver.
Zone day Birgin showed me shot 1
would not believe could be made if l
hadn't seen him make it three times in
succession. Some hardwood boards
had been left where the floor or the
cabiE had been laid. Birgin took one
Ofthese boards and laid it on the ground,
and leveled it up carefully with little
spirit level. Ten PAGES from the plank
he put marx about as big as silver
half dollar on tree. Then he got back
ten PAGES from the plank and levelcd
his pistol and fired at the center of the
plank. The bullet glanced from the
hard wood and struck the mark on the
tree. This he did three times in sue
cession. He said that was one of the
shots that had been taught him, and he
had always kept it in practice. He
said that some time his practice might
be of nse to him. And he was right
about that.
FILLING A PAKTIIEE WITH BIRD SHOT.
AFTER couple of months Mrs. Bir-
gins health was so much better tibet
she was able to join us in short strolls
into the timber, and she enjoyed them
very much. She would sit on some
cushions with one OF the girls an hour
or two at a time, while Birgin would
ramble around and sketch and examine
the rocks. On these trips always car
ried my double barreled muzzle loading
shotgun, and it's worth three of any
breechloaders l ever handled. In the
left barrel 1 always had heavy charge
of powder and buckshot, and in the
other barrel charge of fine bird shot.
Deer were out of season, and all we
cared for was few birds for Mrs. Bir-
gin.
"One 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 panther that had been seen and
heard in the neighborhood. He talked
so much about the panther that he for
got to tell me he had fired the charge of
buckshot, and left both barrels loaded
with Lird SHOT.
"The next morning I took my shot
gun and went over to the cabin. l
only looked to see that it was loaded,
and supposed the load of buckshot was
in the left barrel as usual, as the boy
had never interfered with it before.
My carelessness, for that's what it was.
came very near being disastrous.
Mrs. Birgin was feeling stronger
than usual that morning, and we walked
II long way from the cabin. One of the
servants went with us and carried a big
basket of provisions. We camped for
lunch in pretty little ravine over near
Little River. After lunch Birgin and
myself crossed the little ravine and
left the women sitting on the bank,
Birgin had his revolver in his belt as
usual, and began hammering on rock
looking for specimens, and sat look
ing en-, with my gun over my knees.
"Suddenly l heard stir in the under
brush Oh the other side of the ravine. 1
turned my head, and you can imagine
how felt when l saw full grown
male panther only a few feet back of
WucTc UIl6 WOulCu Ools IL uoO RlOO0O1y
been attracted ny the smell OF the pro-
visions aud was making observations.
THE DEADLY SHARPSHOOTER.
"My first thought was to give the
panther dose of buckshot, and took
quick aim and let 60 my left barrel over
the heads of the women knew by
the light recoil that something was the
matter, but could not understand it.
sent the other charge instinctively.
The panther was less than 100 feet
away.
"You can imagine the effect of the
birdshot in the face of a robust and
hungry panther 1t simply maddened
him. The beast prepared to spring up
on the women, but could do nothing
with only an empty shotgun. At my
first shot Mrs. Birgin had turned and
caught sight of the panther just above
her. and fell in a dead faint,
"The huge beast made the spring,
but went wide of his mark and rolled