Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-05-09
peculiar that the eye of man ever

peculiar that the eye of a eve
gazed upon.
The two ~prospectors were amazed
awe-striction, and spell-bound, for sit
ting on a rock in tho grassy glen was
panther Joe" holding a switch in hi;
hand and in a peculiar gibberish com
polling a large, full-grown female
couoar-the dreaded American lion
to circle around him in the o
a circus horse. With young at hel
side there is not a more dangerous OIL
fierce animal to be found in the Wild
of the American continent than the
cougar, and this one not only had 4
whelp. but. what was more marvellous,
it was riding on her back, where placed
by the Indian. The mother watched
Joe's face as a bird-dog does that Of
it's master, and its submission was more
through fear than inclination. The re.
verse was true with the young one,
which entered heartily into the enjoy
ment of the ronps and would leap from
its mothers back into Joe's lap. only to
be returned again 10 its perch and ey'
ercise of bareback riding.
Joe would laugh loudly at these play
full antics, which afforded him the
greatest amusement, and to all appear
ances he was free from apprehensions
of danger, although he had a watchful
eye upon the mother, and kept up that
constant, weird aud peculiar chant
which first attracted the two mountain
GERS. To them the scene was more
wonderful than any described in the
arabian Nights" and, while at first
they were held spellbound bva strange
fascination, their natural feelings soon
asserted themselves. To play with an
animal which would stealtilily pursue
a human being. pounce upon him. feed
on his flesh and drink OF his blood was
unnatural: it was disgusting and re-
voting sorcery, and the who pos
sessed such powers and took such
enjoyment deserved to live no more
than the brute itself.
The report Of Teal's rifle rang
through the mountains and forests, was
echoed and re-echoed from a hundred
canyons, and the lioness lay dead at
the Yaqui's feet. Quickly crossing the
creek. Smith killed the young one with
his pistol, and then the two men SO.
verely rebuked and repriman6ed Joe
for his conduct, telling him that in at.
tracing the stealthv and voracious ami
NAL to the vicinity of the camp he was
endangering the lives Of every member
OF the party, as i'll an unexpected mo-
ment any one was likely to be attacked
by it and killed.
The Yaqui was also terribly indig.
nant: his frame shook, his eyes flashed
fire, like the animals with which he had
been associating, and he was scarcely
able to %articulate. Taking a hasty and
sorrowful look at his two dead pets. he
told the p~rospectors, in a voice mixed
with indignation 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, whittier no
one knew.
After the discovery of the Tombstone
mines panther Joe" again Appealed
in the territory. and for several years
was employed by the large companies
operating there. When Coles circus
was in San Francisco in 1880, Joe con-
tracted, through a friend, for the de.
livery to them of two panthers for the
sun Of $500. In going East the circus
company side-tracked a car with cage,
at Dragons summit to receive the
animals, and the mar in charge was
surprised to learn that Joe had them
a mile from that station, simply held
by chains attached to collars he had
placed around their necks, uncaged
anduntamed. Obeying the instructions
of the Iaqui, as conveyed through
a messenger, he left the cage open the
following night and kept all persons
away from it. The next morning it
contained a fine specimen Of an Amer
lean lion and a female jaguar-the
dreaded tiger Of Mexico.
When the Mexican Government de-
clared war against Cajeme, the chief
of the 1aquis, a few years ago,
Panther Joe" returned to Sonora and
was one among the first that fell in
that unj just and unequal warfare.