The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1891-01-22
THE PANTHER'S PREY.
Vivid Description Of a Tragedy II
tho Sunshine.

How the Agile Beast ANghted Upon q
Sleeping Ind lan's Rroass--A Savage
Shrek Suceee.ied by n Short,
Uneven Struggle.
Breaking suddenly through the cedar
thicket, stood, writes a Detroit Free
Press correspondent, on the very edge OF
the cliff-at the top of q ragged wall
which rose almost four hundred feet
my perch could see for 6fty miles to
| the west.
| Nature never made 4 more perfect day
in the Western mountains. Every
| thing, living or dead was bathed in sum
! shine, and there was such intense quiet
| ness that heard the swish OF buzz
xard's wings as he sailed over my head
! 30 nigh that he seemed no larger than o
robin.
turn from the distant landscape and
! look down into tho valley. Half mile
from the foot cf the wzli-vet seeming
scarce a stones throw away-is camp
hio-a camp fire which smolders and
sends up thin, lazy column Of blue
smoke. Thirty feet from tie fire, lying
! on the broad OF his back on the grass,
with hat over his face, is 4 human fig
ure. 1t is that OF an Indian. You can
tell that by his position.
1t is a camp, then tho camp OF pair
or trio of Indian hunters belonging to
the reservation. 1t is their land. and if
there Is any trespassing am the guilty
one. Where this hunters com mpGnions
are know not, but thay have left him
alone FOR the time and he has improved
the opportunity TO sleep. So quies-so
peaceful-so flooded with sunshine that
no spot can be safer for one bound in
the chains Of slumber.
Loolll Five hundred feet beyond tho
body is cedar thichet. Bctweeu the
body and the thickot are scattered
rocks-a sort of out-crop. Ny eye was
simply passing over this ground When
1t detected movement in tha thicket.
For long minute keep my gaze fast
cncd on the spot, and for some uncx-
planned reason my heart beats faster.
Was it deer? A grizzly would hardly
be found there. Perhaps 1t is wild
horse, Or steer which has broken from
the herd over tho ridge. watch and
walt.
Coed Heavens! z great t,wny beast
glidcs oat of the thiol,et and stands for
a moment smiling the air. 1t is the
panther Of the mountains-agile, fierce
and having the strength of the tigcr! The
scent comes down TO him ca the breeze,
though / can not feel breath of air
stirring. He spiffs to the right, to the
left; he points straight Mt the sleeping
man. Death has marked down victim.
Now watch! The beast sinks down to
the earth, stretches out a paw-pulls
his body along the grass shows . sup
pleness which evon the tiger can not
display. Tho first rock is to his left
FIVE yards away. Ho socks the cover of
1t. and his every motion reminds one Of
q cst. He fattens his body--creeps--
crawls-reGcucs the roca and for
moment is hidden. Then l see him
pecring from the left hand side. Has
his victim moved? No! Ho still sleeps
IL tho warm sunshine, and his lease OF
life is reduced to minutes.
The panther moves out for the cover
of the second rock. He is bolder now.
He seems to realize that his victim is
helpless. He crouchcs and creeps, lift
ing each fore paw slowly and with the
creates. caro-. Ho does not make halt
Of moro than sixty seconds behind the
second rock. He leaves it with bound
which carries him fifteen feet, aad in
ton seconds ne is there.
know what is going to happen and
have rifle in my hands, but ! make
no movo. forget for tho time that
have tho power to. The march of thou
sand men down the valley could not
draw my eyes away from that sight.
Tho panther seems to sink into the
cArsh behind the stone for moment.
Then see his head rising Above it as
he places his paws on the stone. His
oars are laid nat, his lip drops down and
shows his teeth. and know that his
eyes are glowing like living Goals. 1t
Is forty feot to the sleeping Indian.
Will some magnetic influence warn him
Of his peril? Will some unseen signal
bring his companions back in time?
No! My heart stands still Us the
head OF the panther disappears. 1t is
scarcely second before his body rises
like great bird leaving the earth, and
at his second bound he alights full
upon the slceper's breast. with a savage
shrek. There is wild yell-a strug-
gle lasting half minute, and then l
see the beast lying across the body
anG tearing at tle throat When SURE
that his victim Is dead he rises up,
seizes the body by the shoulder, and
with swing and a fiirs no throws tho
weight across his back and trots off
over tho grass to tho thiclset and disap-
pears. His companions will search for
him, but they will find only his bones.
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