Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-10-20

when L padded back TO the outlet, Jnere
he was awaiting me in exactly the same
position as when first discovered him
BY this time l had persuaded myself
that there was ample room for me to pass
the barrier without coming in range of the
animals spring. knew that close to the
further shore the water was deep. When
l was about thirty yards from the stakes, |
put on speed, heading for just about the
middle of the opening. My purpose was
to let the panther fancy that | was coming |
within his range, and to change my course |
at the last moment so suddenly that he |
would not have time to alter his plan of at
tack. 1t is quite possible that this care
! fully planned scheme was unnecessary, and !
that ] rated the brute's intelligence and
forethought quite too high. But however
that may be, thought it safer not to take
any risks with so cunning an adversary.
The panther lay in the sharp black
shadow of an overhanging maple, so that
it was impossible for me to note his move
ments accurately; but just as an instinct
warned me that he was about to spring, |
swerved smartly toward him, and hurled
the light canoe forward with the mightiest
strokes | was capable of. The manwuvre
was well executed, for just before / came
fairly opposite the grim figure on the stake
tops, the panther sprang.
Instinctively l threw myself forward,
level with the cross-bars; and in the same
breath there came snarl and splash
close beside me. The brute had miscalcu-
lated my speed, and got himself ducking.
l chuckled little as | Strengthened up;
but the sigh of relief which drew at the
same time was profound in its sincerity.
had lamentably underestimate the
reach of the panther's spring. He had
II Il. s..vf-
where | imagined the canoe would be out
of reach. l looked around again. He
was climbing alertly out of the hated bath.
Giving himself enc mighty shake, he
started after me down along the bank, ut
terng a series of harsh and piercing
screams. With a sweep of the paddle
, , darted across current, and placed almost
the full breadth of the river between my
wild enemy and myself.
have padded many canoe race, but
never one that my heart was so set upon
winning as this strange one in which |
now found myself straining every nerve
The current of the Squatook varies greatly
in speed, though nowhere is it otherwise
than brisk. At first | gained rapidly on
I my pursuer; but presently we reached a
. spot where the banks were comparatively
level and open; and here the panther
, | caught up anu kept abreast vi llt Will
u ease. With sudden sinking at the heart
e l called to mind a narrow gorge, quarter
a of mile ahead, from the sides of which
u several dropping trunks hung over the wa
o ter. From one of these, | thought, the
IL panther might easily reach me, running
e out and dropping into the canoe as
u darted beneath. The idea was a blood
IS curdling one, and spurred me to more des-
perate effort; but before we neared the per
o ilous pass the banks grew so uneven and
IF the underbrush so dense that my pursueI
l. was much delayed, and consequently fell
u behind. The current quickening its speed
o at the same time, l was a good ten yards
Is in the lead as my canoe slid through the
n gorge and out into the white moonlight OF
4 one of the wider reaches of the stream.
Here l slackened my pace, in order tC
p recover my wind; and the panther made
$, up his lost ground. For the time, wa:
Us out of his reach, and all he could do wa
to scream savagely. This, l supposed
" was to summon his mate to the noble hunt
IS ing he had provided for her; but to my in
n expressible satisfaction, no mate came
W The beauty and the weirdness of tn,
4 moonlit woods were now quite lost upor
p me. | saw only that long, fierce, light
81 bounding figure which so ineXorably KEEP
IS pace with me.
Ds To save my powers for some possible
he emergency, | resolved to content myself
lie for the time, with a very moderate degree
rs of haste. The panther was in no wa,
ST pressed to keep up with me. Suddenly, h.
lie darted forward at his utmost speed. For
2; moment this did not trouble me; but thel
he | awoke to Its possible meaning. He wa
~ planning, evidently, an ambuscade, and
a must keep an eye upon him.
The order of the chase was prOInptlV rp
~ versed, and set out at once in desperate
ed pursuit The INSTRUCTED shores and tn
ar increasing current favored me- so that h
found it hard to shake me Off For tn
next half mile just managed to keep III
ne with him. Then came another of thOs
ed queter reaches, and my pursued pursuer a
e- last got out of sight.
1T Again paused, not only to take breath
IN but to try and discover the brute's purpos
e. in leaving me. All at once it flashed int
ne my mind. Just before the river widen
he into Second lake, there occurs lively an,
ar somewhat broken rapid. AS there wa
er moonlight, and l knew the channels we'll
IS, / had no dread of this rapid till suddenl
ny l remembered three large boulders CROSSING
sh the stream like stepping-stones.
as 1t was plain to me that this was tn
point my adversary was anxious to reacl
! ahead of me. These boulders were s.
a. placed that he could easily spring iron
he one to the other dry-shod, and his chanc
NJ of intercepting me would be excellent.
as almost lost courage. The best thing
list could do under the circumstances was t
he save my strength to the utmost, so for
p time did little more than steer the canoe
'le When, at last, rounded turn and say
all just ahead of me the white, thin-creste
ay singing ripples of the rapid, Was not a
&C. all surprised to see also the panther
nd crouched on one of the rocks in mic
H. stream.
lr- At this point the river was somewha
ne spread out, and the banks were low, so tn
'ly moonlight showed me the channel quit
lis clearly. l laid aside my paddle and too
he up the more trusty white spruce pole
be With it "snubbed' the light canoe firm
ly, letting her drop down the slope inch b
ell, inch, while took cool and thorough SUI
ng vey of the ripples and cross currents.
he From the sloping shoulder of the roc
I'M lying nearest to the left-hand bank stron
l cross-curTent took a slant sharply over tC
IN ward the middle channel. l decided t
OF stake my fate on the assistance of thi