St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-03
The Story Of a Man Who Was
Forced to Fight for His
Life.
Tom Towers Desp crate En-"
counter in the Southern
Foothills.
It Was the Fiercest Kind Of a
Struggle, but the Man
Conquered.
He Had in His Possession
Only a Few Bird Shot and
a Short Knife.

San Francisco Examiner.
Tom Tower, young rancher of Maus
rieta, is slowly recovering from wounds
received in a single-handed encounter
with a full-grown panther some days
ago. the memory of which still haunts
his hours both sleeping and waking,
and the scars from which he will carry
to his grave.
A few mornings ago Tower, in COM
pany with friend, sta rted for fore-
noon'S hunt in the foothills. After a
time the two became separated and the
friend, meeting with Indifferent success,
returned to the ranch. Tower contin-
ued his way deeper into the foothills,
and, while going through a dense
growth of mesquite and manzanita on
his way to the summit of hog back"
ne suddenly entered little clearing a
few yards in extent. AS he did so a
huge panther arose with grOwl from
its lair under spreading manzanita in
the center Of the clearing.
For an instant Tower was paralyZed
with fright. Then he rapidly took
stock of his situation, keeping his eyes
on the huge beast that was crouching
with its yellow belly to the ground,
laShlng the short sage with its long,
flexible tail, its short ears flattened to
its head, snarling, showing its terrible
long. white fangs. and the long body
swaylng preparatory for resistlesS
leap. There was 70 way for Tower to
escape. The brute would be OIL him in
another moment and there was no pos
Slble help within miles. There was
nothing to do but fight
But what were his chances? His
weapons consisted of doubIe-b arreled
shotgun loaded with fine shot, short,
stout -bladed knife, two good arms, a
strong, athletic frame and an abund-
ance of clear. true grit. But what of
his antagonist that would be upon Kim
in another instance? A sinewy. supple,
powerful body, paws that could crush
the skull of all OK, jaws that could bite
through his thigh with one crunch, and
thick. tawny hide that would afford
successful resistance to those pitifully
small shot.
While taking this inventory Tower
had never removed his gaze from those
great yellow eyes glazing at him from
the ground, not five yards distant. His
only hope was to blind the brute with
the shot. He had been standing mo-
tionleSs, fearing that the slightest
movement might precipitate that terri
BILE leap. But now the silence was
broken by the sharp click of the cooked
gun, and, with quick downward move
ment of his left hand, he lOOsened the
knife in his belt, then braced himself
for the catapult.
1t was not long delayed. With the
first movement by Tower the panther
had crouched lower, its body trembling
more violently, and now it sprang into
the air with cry between a roar and
scream. AS it left the ground Tower
fired the right barrel full into the beasts
front, and then jumped nimbly to one
side. The brute screamed again while
yet in the air, and, as it struck the
ground, tore at its head with its paws
and bit at that sharp, singing pain i'll
its breast.
Tower had only time to step back
three or four PAGES when the maddened
animal Sprapg again, and again met the
full force of the second load OF shot
fired by that steady hand, and again did
Tower leap to one side, at the same mo-
ment throwing open the breech OF his
gun and reaching to his belt for mora
But the panther did not de-
lay the third leap. 1t had hardly touched
the ground when it was up, and this
time reached its victim. striking Tower
full in the breast and sinking its tangs
with crunching Snarl deep into his
left shoulder. Down they went. locked
in deadly embrace. in fight for life
in that secluded spot on the side of
lonely mountain, and witnessed only by
the robins sitting motionlesS Ill mute
surprise on the bushes.
AS the two went down Tower grasped
his short knife, and, as the fangS of his
met in his shoulder, drove it
to the haft in the animals side. With
a scream of pain the panther released
its hold, only to seize him again. Over
and over they rolled, the panther tear
ing at Towers limbs and vitalS with its
cruel claws. and crushing his arm and
shoulder with its powerful jaws. Tower
to keep his right arm free, and
piled it rapidly. Again and again did
he drive the knife to the hilt in the ami
mails neck aud side, the hot blood gush-
ing over him at every stroke.
= AS the afternoon waned and Tower
did not return, his friend at the ranch
became anxious, and, with three of the
men. started on Il search for his absent
Going first to the place where
they had separated, the searcherS took
up the trail and had no difficulty in fol-
lowing it, his footprints being plainly
in the Soil.
After 4 tramp or two hours they
forced their way through thicket and
found in little opening an explanation
of their friends absence. There lie lay,
face downward in the dirt, his clothing
almost torn from his body Or pasted TO
the flesh by great clots of dried blood
that had poured from deep, gaping
wounds. A few feet away, on plot of
ground. Law full-grown
panther, dead. with short-bladed knife
driven to the haft behind the left fore
shoulder.
Taking in the situation in an instant,
the rescuers ran to Tower, suppOsing.
of course. that he was dead. but they
were overjoyed 10 find that there was
still enough blood left in his veins to
create pulse. 1t took those men of
the mountains but few moments to
litter of manzanta boughs,
and placing Towers almost lifeleSs
body upon it they carried him down the
10 the ranch Med ical aid
was promptly summoned and Tower is
now able to slit up with his feet on the
skin of q full-groWn panther.