The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-12-16

de Bexar, at that day the most I'm
sportant commercial point in all ives
Texas. My operations for time wer
confined along small river called til'
Colette, as civil engineer in the in
terest of Cart John Field. veteran @
the Mexican war. who had settled Oh
that stream nome years psevious. wh'
had become dissatisfied with the unre
liza bility of the only means of grinding
the Indian corn. the old-time windmill
then in vogue, and had determined t.
build frsf-class water mill on tn,
Colette
At that Day game of the edible kind
such as deer, turkey, squirrels, prairi,
chickens, etc, was very plentiful. at :
distance of twelve or fifteen miles from
the settlement There was also a gen
erous sprinl,ling of panthers, wild cats
and other night providers, and now and
then lost Comanche Indian spy would
appear on the scene.
It was quite relief to the whole
working force in that enervating eli
mate when tho captain would call a
halt in all departments of business and
announce a big hunt up the river for 4
few days to recruit our lost energies
and wonted strength, depleted by in
cessant and profuse perspiration.
There were generally FIVE or six in
the party, and we went usually on horse
back with our allowance.of bread. coffee
and quart lineup securely tied to the
saddlestraps behind and carrying q
! good deer gun, Colts navy six and a
huge cutlass, or belt knife. The plan
wns to stay long enough for each one
OF the party to secure saddle of ven-
ison (the two hind quarters of a deer)
with the skin still on, the fore-q quar-
ters having been skinned and thrown
/ away.
Along about the first days of Novem-
| Der, when the days had slightly cooled
off and the nights were most delight
fully cool and crisp under a clear blue
Italian sky-such weather as makes a
vigorous man feel glad that he is living
the captain announced to his forces
his intention of laying Off the whole
force for two weeks
We were soon in splendid trim for
the big hunt, and took the road to the
field of sport with a high spirit of ella
ton and anticipation, as our field Of OPP
GRAFTON had been selected in q new and
untried section, where the panther and
jaguar. or spotted tiger, did most
abound
We arrived at our destination in good
condition, after moderate ride of some
thirty miles, pitching our tent near the
headwaters of the Colobo, a stream to
the north of the settlement We had
no fear, or at least no thought, of
trouble from ferocious beasts or hostile
dry, and must say uninviting, supper,
we made cur bed for the night at the
widow Sprawrs inn' with anything
but satisfied stomach. We were in
the best condition possible to enjoy
sweet and unconscious sleep after hav-
ing travelled so far and going through
the arduous labor of selecting a camp
ing ground, and were doing ample JUS
tice to that strong desire for rest, when
about midnight terrible racket broke
out among our horses stalled out lit
tie way from the camp. They spun
around their stakes in the widest
alarm, snorting, kicking and rearing,
and making desperate efforts to release
themselves from their fastenings.
Now the captains favorite saddle
mare seemed to be the center Of attrac-
ton. being beautiful specimen Of the
bconcho or Texas mustang, and al
though an albiuo was nevertheless of
pleasant aspect, symmetrical and
splendid saddle animal, highly priced
by her master The captain had often
refused an unreasonable sum for her.
We were put IL perfect frenzy of ex-
citcment on being so suddenly aroused
by the distressing appeals of the cap
tain for assistance. II seemed that he
had been awakened by the neighing Of
his mare which had been attacked by
couple OF hungry panthers. and, fear
ing that something was wrong with
her. he repaired ct once TO the scene of
disturbance, TO find the mare in most
desperate and determined struggle to
throw of the beasts and release he ?
self from her dangerous position. The
old captain was frantic, and By the
time we reached the bloody scene the
captain had gotten so mixed up with
the struggling animals that we could
hardly tell which from t'other." The
captain, with his heavy belt knife. was
carving one of the panthcrs with such
desperate vigor that the animal was al
most IN narrow strirs and had dropped
from the mares loins to the ground in
the last throes of death. he other |
had secured lodgment just over the |
withers and had firmly fastened its |
fangs in the jugular. drinking the |
blood of Pretty Betty Martin, as the !
captain had been pleased TO name his /
favorite roadster
That operation was quickly put 20 an /
end however. for the whole party were i
fully aroused and would have fought |
''Old Sam Hill" or any other creature
from the Internal regions. al the drop
of hat, and dropped i themselves
Under such circumstances, Lesvit,.
philadelphian bv birth and education.
md one OF the coolest and most daring
men ever met with, and powerful
nan physically. deliberately seized the
panther by his long tai, wound the tail
around ais wris. firmly and. with Her
.ulesn strength. wrencl,ed il from the
mare. swinging the bloody
beast three or four times around MS
read in quick succession, and with the
uil momentum OF his mighty strength
brought The pantner's head IN contact
With large rock that fortunately
tccd about tive feet cut OF tsze ground
nd II convenient reach Erch IN act