St. Landry democrat., 1893-07-22
TRAILED BY A PANTHER

In the spring of '73 entered the ser
vice of the Canadian Government in the
capacity of rodman in one of the nu-
merous parties which at hat time were
engaged in trying to locate practicable
route for the projected Canadian Pacific
Railway through the bowling Wilderness
which stretched away westward from the
shores of Lake Superior.
My party had spent the summer in
running levels between Thunder Bay and
Lake Shebandowan, and late in the fall!
had gone into camp near the first rapids
of the Kaministiquia River, distant about
twenty miles from its mouth.
More than two months had passed
since the receipt of our last mail; so I'M
mediately upon our arrival at the river,
a messenger had been dispatched for it to
Prince Arthur's Landing, about twenty
three miles down stream, with instruc-
lions to return without delay.
Six days had elapsed since Sandy Mac
pherson, our messenger, had donned a
clean shirt and babe us goodbye, with
many a hearty assurance of speedy
return; and we were still looking arx-
iously and vainly down the trail for the
first sign of his bushy whiskers.
On the evening of the day aforesaid
the situation in camp had become. simply
desperate. Twenty big-fsted Highland
ers sat on the trunk of c fallen tree just
outside the camp and cursed Sandy Mac
pherson; and they were still at it when,
late in the afternoon, I threw myself
bodily into the ever widening breach and
announced my intention of starting for
the Landing at once.
A lull in the mems swearing succeeded
my declaration, and Sandy McPherson's
heartless desertion of his brother SCOTS
in distress was forgotten as twenty pairs
of hard, honest hands helped me to
grid on my armor, which consisted of an
old muzzle loading "Colt's,' and a heavy
hunting knife.
The day had been gloomy, threaten
ing one, and just as had completed Ty
arrangements for departure, cold dr;z-
cling rain set in. But off I went at an
Indian lopc, a half hour of which brought
me to the junction of the trail with the
Pigeon River mailroad, at which point
and close to the river bank, crew Of
wood choppers from the old Hudson
Bay post of Fort William had recently
erected log shanty. As was passing
this lonely habitation two men, who
were pushing a punt in the stream,
hailed me and inquired whittier l way
bound. Upon learning that l was On
my way to the settlement, they offered
me seat on pile of empty meal sacks
in the bottom of the boat, informed INC
at the same time that they were about to
pull down to the company's farm, distant
about six miles, to bring back cargo Of
potatoes. gladly accepted the invita-
stream as fast as two-mile current and
four stout arms could send us.
My fellow-voyagers, who were beth
Scotchmen, seemed we'll pleased to have
a guest, and chatted almost necessarily as
the ugly craft shot down the swollen
current.
We had been running in mid stream
from the start, but as the boat rounded
a sharp bend in the river it shd ut into a
narrow cove, which gradually Terminated
in dark ravine. The craft &xas laif
alongside the banks, and after having
been told fully half dozen times thai
would find the mail-road by striking out
to the right from the head of the ravine,
/ leaped ashore amid a perfect shower of
"gude luck to ye."
| lost no time in getting out of the
ravine, for night was closing fast, aud it
was of the utmost Importance that I
should reach the road while light enough
remained to keep three trees in line.
Reaching the level, l laid my course care
fully and followed it at run. was
going along in good shape when sudden
ly l found the ground sloping away
sharply to the front, the slope terminal
ing in shallow ravine densely timtered
with spruce and "Jack" pine 1t was
quite dark in this bottom, and the spruce
grew in almost impenetrable clumps,
making it impossible to follow straight
line. As I pushed my way with nervous
haste through the dripping boughs I bc-
gan to realize that the darkness aho,,:
me was not entirely due to the lay OF the
ground and thickness of timber growth.
The dull twilight had faced out as sud-
denly as if the sun had been instantly