The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-01-30
AN EXCITING ADVENTURE.
A Practical Joke Which Might Easily
Have Ended In q TraRe u.

A Practical Joke Which Might Essily
Have Ended In . Trags y.
For myself, / was chopped down"
once, and once only, writes Charles G.
D. Roberts, in ST. Nicholas 1t hap
pened in this way. In the midwinter OF
1879, / had occasion to visit the chief
camp OF the Little Madawaska. Com
ing from the city, and to 4 camp where
1 was a stranger to all the men, was
not unnaturally regarded as pro-
nounced specimen Of the greenhorn. L
took no pains to tell any one what the
boss already we'll knew, that is, that L
had been frequenter of the camps from
my boyhood. Many and many a neat
trap was laid for my apparently
tender feet, but i avoided them all as
if by accident. AS for climbing tree,
l always laughed at the idea when 1T
was proposed To me: / always suggested
that it might spoil my clothes. Before
long the men, by putting little things
together, came TO the conclusion that L
was an old stager; and, rather sheepish-
ly, they gave over their attempts to en-
trap me. Then i graciously waved my
hand, as it were, and was frankly re-
ceived as q veteran, cleared from every
suspicion of being green.
At last the day came when i did wish
to climb a tree. The camp was on a
high plateau, and not far off lowered
magnificent pine tree, growing out OF
the summit of a knoll in such a way as
to command all the surrounding coun-
try. Its branches were phenomenally
thick; its girth of trunk was magnifi-
cent. And this tree i resolved one day
to climb, In order to get clear idea
of the lay of the land. OF course i
strolled of surreptitiously, and, as l
thought, unmatched. But there / was
much mistaken. No sooner was l two
thirds of the way up the tree than, with
shouts of laughter, the lumbermen
rushed out of the surrounding cover and
proceeded to chop me down. The chance
was too good for them TO lose.
concealed my annoyance, and made
no attempt TO descend. On the contra
ry thanked them for the little atten-
ton, and climbed a few feet further up,
to secure a position which l saw would
be a safe one for me when the tree should
fall. AS l did so, perceived, with
gasp and tremor, that l was not alone
in the tree.
There. not ten feet above me, stretched
at full length along large branch, was
huge panther, glaring with rage and
terror. From the men below his form
was quite concealed. CHANGING restless
lessly from me to my pursuers, the
brute seemed uncertain just what to do,
AS carefully refrained from climbing
any further up, and tried to assume an
air of not having observed him, he ap-
parently concluded that l was not his
worst enemy. In fact, dare say he un-
derstood what was going on and real
lied that he and ! were fellow-suferers.
laughed softly TO myself as i thought
how my tormcntors would be taken
aback when that panther should come
down among them / decided that, con-
sidering their numbers, there would be
at least no more danger for them than
that to which they were exposing me in
their reckless foOling. And, already in
fiuenced by that touch OF nature which
makes US SO wondrous kind, | began TO
hope that the panther would succeed in
making his escape.
The trunk OF the pine was so thick
that / might almost have reached the
ground before the choppers could cut il
through. At last it gave a mighty shud-
der and sagged TO one side. i balanced
myself nimbly on the upper side, steady
ing myself by n convenient branch. The
great mass OF foliage, presenting wide
surface TO the air, made the fall COM
paratively slow one; but the tremendous
sweep of the draught upward, IS the
tree-top described its gigantic arc, gave
me sickening sensation. Then came
the final dull and thunderous crash, and
in an instant, found myself standing
in my place, Jared but unhurt, with the
snow threshed up all about me-
The next instant there was another
roar, or rather 4 sort Of screaming yell,
overwhelming the riotous laughter of the
woodsmen; and out of the confusion OF
pine-boughs shot the tawny form of the
panther in whirlwind of fury. One of
the choppers was in his path, and was
bowled over like clumsy nine-pin.
The next bound brought the beast on TO
the backs of a yoke of oxen, and his
cruel claws severely scratched the oNen's
necks- AS the poor animals beloved
and fell on their knees, the panther
paused, with some idea, apparently, of
fighting the whole assembled party.
But as the men, recovered from their
first amaZement, rushed with their axes
to the rescue of the oxen, the panther
saw that the odds were all against him.
He turned half round and greeted his enc
mics with one terrific and strident snarl,
then bounded of into the forest at a
pace which made it idle to pursue him.
The owner of the oxen hurled an axe
after him, but the missile flew wide of
its mark.