Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-05-14
4 oIals fIeAr via a pANrAeR.


Tho Enraged Wild Cat Thrown Down
rrecipiee by Her rsir Antagonist.
The story WIS brought to Pueblo, Col,
by q messenger from up In the mountains
Of n thrilling adventure which boiell Nora,
the daughter ~ one Il the se,tlcments
leading members. she y devoted otni'
biologist, and hsd captured an eaglei FROM
nest In tho top Of tall oak. hack Of
Quarry peak. long ledge crowned ridge,
distant half mile FROM her home On hct
return from the trip tot pc cyrie she deter.
mined TO cross the crest Of the ridge and
descend the crags instead Of making cir.
cult as she had done In the ascending.
The ledge does not average more thnn forty
feet In height. but was 10 steep rs to H.
most impnssablc.
She Ind discovered two place, however,
where she could make the descent, aud
started down the perilous route. There
was one place in the descent where she
must drop from the edge ~ one rock to the
top Of another six feet below Swapping
the caglet 10 her shoulders, she made her
way skillfully aud safely. and had Just
dropped from the overhanRinR ledge Of one
"step" In the stairway TO the landing be-
meath when q plaintive, half human cry
reached her ears. seeming 10 come from the
base Of the crag bencath. \ great branch
Ina oak, with limbs shadowing the Jagged
rocks aud almost touching them. had
grown up from below. She pccpci cau-
tionsly over the pruclplce down through
the foliage, not daring 20 make the slight
ct noise ,nd almost fearing to brcathc.
She could see nothing. The prolonged
moaning caterwaul was that Of % young
panther. The fair hunter had no weapon
with her except q small knife and pocket
rcyolyer-a mere toy-nnd with panthcrs
she quickly decided that the knife was
equally ~ good defense as the revolver.
She cast her eyes wistfully into the limbs
above aud then down over the pr~ipicot to-
warl the Jagged rocks below.
While bending over thus the shadows Of
some aging thing seemed 10 pass over her;
there was an ominous rattle Of looscncd
stones above and rustllng shock among
the upper branches Of the tree. Then on
the instant another shrlll scream, which
now seemed 10 come up trlumphaniiy
from the foot Of the ledge. and was an.
swcrrd by u snarling cry from the tree top.
Tho girl knew just what had happened,
aud crouchcd quite limp and faint from
fright upon the shelf of the rock.
Fora few moments she dared not look
upward. Then another snarl aud ripping u
sight which met her gnze she shrank aud
covered closer 20 the ledge from which she
had Just before dropped The old panther
was therc, the mother u the young one NJ
the base Of the ledge. Swnying To and fro,
she chung TO a branch aud glarcd horccly
on the Intruder. her white hings cleaning
~ the red Lips quivored above them. The
long, 1.-THE, brown body lay along the limb
ns the creature prepared for q downward
leap.
Fur some moments the beast kept her
threatening attitude. At length, hwcd or
puzzled by the steady eyes % the girl, she
turned a. II 10 20 up the ledge hut lust
then the ycarning cry Of the young one
came up from below, aud with spflug
the mother lcaped 10 the stony platform
beside the glfl
With an Involuntary cry Of horror tho
mounthinccr'- daughter kicked with her
heavy shoes full into the panther's face
with such force ~ TO push her over the
edge. but even then. whlrling about, the
animal caught her dress aud drew the girl
after Il. As she slid on Nora caught hold
OF the branch of the tree with one hand
The other hand, with the knife In II, struck
out for the hSsailant. and by good fortune
hit the creatures eye. Whether the socket
wa1 plercnd and tho brain stabhc.l, or
whether. bliDded with pain. tho fall was
awkwardly made and broke the nnimal's
back. could not be told. but, bowling with
anger, sha loo.ed her hold aud fell down
the lodges and lay flity feet below, dead.
The panthcr'sca was brought IN the
next day by her iather.-Cor. st. Louis
Globe-DcmocraL