Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-06-03

the strip Oh mlIc. AiIhouSu thS lV'o
sank under me until was knee deep in |
the clinging mud, | managed to reach |
the deep, open water. | knew that there
was good landing place near the mouth
of the creek, so plunging in, struck out
down the stream. L had taken scarcely
a dozen strokes when my knees bumped
against smooth, hard bottom. |
reached the top of the bank with the ut
most difficulty, my limbs had grown so
benumbed. As | reeled against the
blockhouse door | tried to shout for
help, but the words died in my throat,
felt around for the old latch string,
which l had always found hanging
outside" 1t was missing, and in its
place was a huge paddock. The
door was locked hard and fast In
vain I threw myself against it-equally
vain was my search for something that
could be used as battering-ram. had
Just given up trying to break the lock
with the butt of my revolver, when the
panther broke cover across the creek.
There was not moment to lose, for
knew that my foe was a good swimmer
In the rear of the shanty, and about
six feet from it stood tall haystack, the
sides of which were almost perpendlcu-
lar. NV only remaining hope lay in
reaching the top of that stack. The
rough corners of the shanty afforded an
excellent foothold, so that reached the
roof without difficulty Running along
the ridge, knife in hand, leaped to the
stack, and driving knife downward into
it, pulled myself to the top. Tearing
away portion of the thatch, worked
my way, head foremost, into the newly
gathered hay, to the centre of the stack,
Half dead from the cold and exhaustion,
lay there with the quick surge of my
pulse sounding in my ears with the dis
tinctness of drum beat.
While | did not care to hope that |
had wholly outwitted the panther, was
at least safe from immediate attack.
Moreover, l was assured of breathing
spell, without which should have been
as a child in the clutches of the power.
full brute that was making the clearing
resound with its cries
Suddenly the cries ceased, and the
stiffness of death relgned in the great
gloomy bottom. | clutched nay knife
tightly and listened. | had just begun
to hatter myself that the panther had
, lost the trail at the creek, and had aban-
doned the pursuit, when deep throateo
: crowl came from the roof of the shanty
! land in the next breath the stack YVES
shaken from top to bottom, as the savage
beast landed upon it directly over my
head. And there it lay dead, sutfo
+ eating weight, waiting, no doubt, TO
some untoward accident to betray m!
} true position.
| For fully fifteen minutes lay there
Y hardly able to breathe, much less to still
= a muscle, when | was suddenly takeI
Y with an acute chill, and in spite of ever.
: effort to keep it back, q conyulsive shive
4 ran through my frame That settled il
0 In the next instant the swaying and rock
G ing of the stack told me that the fero
q cious creature was digging down to m
# with teeth and talons, and that the crlsl
of my life was close at hand.
c The brute was digging right over tn
|. spot where my head lay. Changing m,
: position slightly, | turned on my lei
d side just as paw was thrust into IN
if space which my head had lately occupied
v OF course | could not see the paw, but
I could feel it, for it brushed against m
% face as it buried itself deeply into tn
r hay alongside me. | knew that tn
d sharp faugs would soon follow.
clutched the sinewy leg that reste
+ so close to my face that | might hav
N touched it by simply thrusting out m
1t tongue. With a quick movement OF m
IN right hand forced the knife upwar
0, through the hay until felt a spasmodI
- twitching in the muscles Of the le!
of around which my left hand had close
en- in death-grip. The point of the knIi
i'd had found the panthers hide. Throw
no ing the whole of my failing strength I'M
nv the effort drove the knife sharply u
NO ward-once, twice, thrice, as far as I'll
,se hits would let it go-and loosened II
lie. grip on the leg. ,
ii With a yell of agony the mortal,
NO stricken brute sprung upward, fell ba,
nv on the stack thrashed around there
ess while. and, finally rolling OFT strut
lid the ground a dead thud, that told
how well the knife had done its work.
81 I had not the faintest recollection
ed leaving my hiding place that night, D
,ry when morning dawned | was found
of one of the Mission hcrders miles dov
ian the river wandering about the woods
of a delirium of fever, and with bloc
lld hunting knife dangling by its loop ire
use my wrist.
ur- In little whitewashed bedroom
ON the old Mission saw, during the toIio
ing fortnight, panthers enough to Ia
nv stocked a dozen menagcries. When
i've last | was able to sit up and tax
A learned that during the first week OF
,ed illness searching parties had secured
t. woods in quest of the supposed victim
md the bloody knife that had been found
,rm my person. At last IN Oiibway trap
ng, struck my back trail and followed it I
it At the foot of the haysack in the Gle
, | ing he found the carcass OF the pant
self living lust where it had fallen, with
hat heart divided in two. The Great
! a weighed 1862 pounds; and measut
ing seven feet three from tip TO tip
nd ----
y" Oldest settlements In the Uni'