The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1891-02-12
WITH A PANTHER.

Thr story OF the settlement OF Ohio
is replete with strange, and thrilling
adventures. From the time OF the
arrival of Rufus Putnam's intrepid
little colony to the close OF the second
war with Great Britain, the "Buck-
eye State" was the locale OF startling
events, some of which, if not properly
authenticated, would read like the
widest chapters OF fiction.
Some OF the earliest settlers found
their way through the unbroken for
ests to the banks Of the Muskingum
and there reared their cabins. These
men were, for the most part, the heads
OF increasing families, some of the
members OF which were mere children,
but these were as courageous in their
way as theirparents. The boys learn
ed to handle the rifle as soon as they
wtre large enough to carry it, and
from that hOm were looked upon tC
furnish the Iardel with daily supplies
OF game, which was not very difficult
task. Tor the forests we've literally
alive with deer, turkeys, pheasants
and the like.
In addition to such game there were
bears aad panthers and some OF the
most SangulnAry encounters recorded
in the settlement OF the west occurred
between the settlers OF the Muskingum
country and these animals.
Among the people who came into
the region | have mentioned, was. An
drew Blossom, q hard pioneer in the
prime of lie. He built his cabin With
the aid OF his wife and son. the latter
a robust youth OF IA, very fond Of
rowing in the woods with a rifle. and u
good shot.
Tom Blossom was good natured
nearly always whistling, except when
creeping after some wary game like a
flock OF turkeys, and it was not often
that he came home with nothing in
his game bag. He soon came to know
the Muskingum forest like a book well
read. It's trails We're like turnpikes to
him, and all knew that he stood in no
danger OF losing his way.
In building the cabin, Tom had stip-
ulated that he should have the 'loft'
to himself, and was permitted to fit it
up as he saw fit. 1t was not long be-
fore he had adorned it with trophies
OF the hunt, such as antlers, coon
skins, turkey feathers and the like.
The only window in the attic looked
toward the west and across one end
of the clearing. 1t was about fifteen
feet from the C"Ound, and Tom had
raised a long Iadder-a felled sapling
with sticks nailed acrOss-Whlch
reached from the window to terra
frma. He had done this for the pur-
pose of getting to the ground without
going down the ladder on the inside Of
the cabin and disturbing his parents,
for on moonlight nights game was to
be seen from the lott, and he was ac-
cuStOmed to following it across the
clearing in hopes Of a night prize.
In the summer time the window was
not protected at all, but during the
winter a piece OF creased paper served
to keep out the cold as well as let in
the light, a very primative window,
but it was all the settlers had those
days.
Il saw the big tracks down in the
gully again today" said Tom Bios
som to his father, sthe latter came
back from a neighbours 'log raising
some ten miles from home. ''They re
uncommon bigfora painter, but that's
Just what made EN-
'Did you lose them?" asked the set
tier, who knew that his boy was as
good a trailer as there was in the
country.
81 filtered 'em two miles over the
toughest ground along the Muskingum,
an they went into a lot of timber
where l lost 'em an had to trudge
| home without a shot"
Toms accent showed how bitter
his disappointment had been, but when
his father said that maybe the "paint-
err would come back and give him a
chance later on, he took hope and aft
er q while clambered up the ladder
and went to bed.
"If I'd only got one shot," sighed
! L Oil, lOONIllS IO"Ctlb I1lC SlllIy I'll
his window I'm all my life l never
saw such tracks for a painter. He
must be bigger than Josh Ruggles dog
! | couldn't begin to cover the prints
with my hand. He may come back
and somebody may get a head or
'iul, and then Id lose i'm altogether
My luck will be to lose the animile, fol
he evidently found nothing in the gul
Iy an went home disappointed"
TheyOung moon, just three days old
was climbing the treetops beyond the
/ window when Tom heard a whistle al
the edge Of the clearing and with a CRY
! OF "Dick Chambers, III be bound!'
he took up the rife and made his way
! down the outside ladder.
Sure enough, Dick Chambers, a boy
OF his own age, and the nearest neigh
. Dor, was waiting for him. Dick haC
seen thelarge footprints in the gully
and had come to acquaint Tom with
his discovery
They look uncommon freshne tn
smooth rock" said Dick.
"What, near the smooth rock?'
echoed Tom. "There war no tracks
there this morning. "Let's go an
see."
The boy Nimrods sailed forth
crossing the clearing, and soon reach
ed the spot where Dick pointed at tn
ground in triumph. Tom got dow
on his knees and looked for a. momen
with all eyes. Suddenly he gave 1
prolonged whistle.
Hes come back, Dick" said Tom
rising. "The old felIar is in the vicin
ity an if We"
Toms sentence was cut short b,
the cracking twig, and the boys, look
ing up and in the same direction a
the same moment, saw outlines
against the new moon the head an
shoulders of the panther. For
minute they seemed to forget thei
guns and stood like statues, as if tn
the apparition had deprived them 0
motion. The head was very large an
fierce looking and from Toms menta
calculation, the animal could not b
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