St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-02

hunting knife in his hand, and l saw
him lunge at her. AS he did so she
struck him with her open hand fair On
the nose-a woman's awkward blow,
but powerful One-and he yelled right
out as he went down. She had one
hand in his hair and the other clutch
ing his throat in no time, and then
came bump! bump! bump. as she
knocked his head on the puncheon
floor. 1t wasn't over three minutes
from the time she entered the door until
she had him tied hand and foot, and 1T
was only after that operation that she
looked over to me, and asked:
Harry, are you aWake"
Well. we had the fellow snug and
fast. The blow mother gave him almost
stuck hog. She choked him until he
was black in the face, and it was about
ten minutes before he fully recovered
z his senses. Then how he did go on!
He writhed and twisted, raved and
+ cursed, and mother had to threaten to
put Goals to his flesh to calm him down.
She carried me to chair, got rest for
my foot. and then left me to watch
while she went after father. l sat there
with my shotgun in my hands, and
three different times | cooked 1t and
made ready tn fire on the fellow, who
was determined not to be held. When
father came up the man changed his
tactics and became as humble
as dog. He tried to make us
believe that he thought our cabin
the home of his uncle, and that he was
after deed which his uncle was lille
gally holding.
Every border neighborhood made its
own laws in those days. Father called
in couple of neighbOrS to consult over
the case, and as result the fellow was
taken out, tied to a tree, and then
switched on the bare back until his
roars for mercy could be heard mile
away.
His Weapons
were retained, and he was set free to
take the trail for settlement fifteen
miles away. 1t was expected that he
would return some day for revenge, but
he never did.
In those early days the country was
full of game, and wolves, bears, panth-
ers and wildcats were numerous. The
pantherS were our greatest foes. as
they sought to kill every thing in the
line of live stock. and we lost several
head by them. On one occasion when
our pony was running loose in the
woods with bell on his neck, | went to
look him up. | found him two miles
from home Guided by the bell, dis
covered him on the further side of a
glade or opening, about ten yards across.
l had just come to the edge of the
glade, and had opened nv mouth to cali
the pony, when panther sprang on his
back from the limb of tree. His spring
almost knocked the pony down. but he
was stout little fellow, and he got his
feet and GENE dashing straight at ME.
The panther was fairly Oh his back, but
the motion gave him enough to do to
hang on. The pony dashed for big
beech with lOw-spreading limbs, and at
two jumps he was relieved of his buI-
den, and the panther rolled to the
ground within four feet of me, scream
ing out in way to lift my heels off the
ground. | expected to be attacked, and
on this occasion had no weapon with
me. The beast had got more than
enough. however. One of his eyes was
put out, his shoulder broken, and he must
have been badly bruised up. He rolled
around for while. screaming with pain
and anger, and then skunk off without
having seen me.
1t was in connection with panther
that L saw my father perform feat
which is recorded in pioneer histories.
One day in October he and | were opt
hunting. | had Jagged behind to pluck
some wild grapes, and, coming to
spring on hillside, father knelt down
to quench his thirst. He was hardly
down when large male panther sprang
on him from a limb about ten feet above
the ground. The yell of surprise father
gave reached my ears and | fastened
my footsteps. | came up to find him
battling barehanded with the beast. |
had my gun. but. fol fear of killing
father, was obliged to stand by as
Spectator Father had leaned his rifle
against tree, but, owing to the activ-
Hy OF the panther, could not reach it.
lie had Il hunting knife in his belt. bat
declared afterward that he totally for
got its presence. The panther snarled
and father shouted, and they seemed to
be whirling in a circle most of the time.
The real situation was this:
The panther aimed to spring and pull
father down, but father ducked and
lodged, and at every opportunity got in
kick or blow. Had the beast re-
manned quiet three seconds / could
have put bullet into him. but he was
moving about like creased lightning
Once father caught him by the tail and
flung him ten feet away, but he gath
cred himself mp and was bac before l
could fire. My presence was unknown,
and pretty soon father called out:
Don't fire! Get MY gun and stand
off bit. and be ready for this fellows
mate when she comes"
| carried out his order. and therefore
did not see the finish of the fight. Fa-
ther got the panther by the back of the
neck and the tail, and. carrying him to
a rock thirty feet away, he beat him on
the stone until she was dead. The
mate did not show up. The combat
lasted fully ten minutes, and fathers
homespun suit was cut to pieces as
with knife. He had thirty eight claw
marks on his body. each of which drew
blood, but none of them were serious.
and he was not laid up for even day.