DeSoto times. (Hernando, Miss.) 1879-1898, 1890-08-21
HE SENT A SLUG INTO THE pASTHER's

rocks When had nothing particular
to do used to stroll over to Birgin's
cabin along in the forenoon, when
th q waa athan --~- n -. s'''
continued to improve, would take them
further and further into the woods, each
time in new direction. On these trips
1 always carried my double-barreled
muzzle-loading shotgun, and it's worth
three of any breech leaders ever hand
led In the left barrel always had a
heavy charge of powder and buckshot,
and in the other barrel a charge of fine
birdshot. Deer were out of season, and
all we cared for was few birds for Mrs.
Birgin.
zone afternoon my boy, who was then
a lad of fifteen, 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 forgot
to tell me he had fired the charge OF
buckshot and left both barrels 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. had
never seen live panther, and neverex-
pected to see one, at least about here.
l thought so little about it that l didn't
mention the matter to the Birgin people.
didn't want to alarm them for nothing,
and spoil their pleasant strolls in the
woods, when they were doing Mrs
Birgin so much good.
''The next morning took my shot
gun and went over to the cabin. l only
looked to see that it was loaded, anc
supposed the load of buckshot was il
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 walkec
long way from the cabin. One OF the
servants went with US and carried big
basket of provisions We camped fo
lunch in a pretty little ravine over
near Little river. After lunch Birgln
and myself crossed the little ravine ant
left the women sitting on the bank
Birgin had his revolver in his belt, a
usual, and began hammering on a rocl
looking for specimens, and sat look
ing on, with my gun over my knees
"suddenly 1 heard a stir in the under
brush on the other side of the ravlne.
turned my head, and you can imagine
how I felt when I saw a full-groWi
male panther only a few feet BACK o
where the women sat. 1t had prooaoi.
been attracted by the smell OF the pro
visions and was making observations
81 confess / lost my head little, a
I was not hunting for panthers. bn
then, did you ever happen to meet
full-grown panther in the woods7 1o'
had a touch of buck fever wheh yo'
we're up here last fall and fired at you
first deer. A panther is great pig ca.
and when one is intertered with IL
ant to make things lively unless ~
disabled with the first shot other"is
il is better let alone. =,
"My first thought was to give vi
nanther dose of buckshot, and l too
quick aim and let go my left oarrel
over the heads of the women. l khe'
by the light recoil that something Wa
the matter, but cou Id not unaers'ah
It. I sent the othercharge lnst'nceiVelS
The panther was less than one hunofe
feet away,