The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-04-12
Audersat, gatelligeneer.
SAVED BY "A PANTHER.

~ASN@~s
A Hunters Thrilling Struggle with
Bear.
Frank Nohl, miner and rancher who
lives in the Santa Rita Mountains in
Arizona, has the strangest companion on
record. 1t is nothing more nor less than
a live wild panther that could kill him
in moment, and, on the otber hand,
that Nohl has had dozens of chances of
exterminatiug.
The beast is his as far as hunting trips
are concerned, but in no other way. The
two have been on over 100 trips togeth-
er, and the man has never had his hand
on the animal but once, bu. that once
was the time the mysterious tie between
the two was created. Man and beast seem
to understand each other, although Nohl
could not tell you how if it was to save
his life.
The day of their first meeting was
about two years ago. Nohl was out
hunting and had run down grizzly, at
which he got good shot that rolled the
animal over. The man thought the
bear Was killed, and ran up to it for the
purpose of skinniug it. Bruit lay very
still, but he was far from being dead, or
even sleeping, says the San Francisco
Call.
Nohl laid his rifle on the ground and
drew his knife preparatory to making
the first incision. 1t was magnificent
animal, aud the hunter could not help
admiring it. He walked around it seve-
al times with his knife in his hand, con-
graduating himself on the good days
work be had done, and finally dropped
on his knees by its side for the purpose
of going to work.
He felt among the soft fur for good
place and then stuck his knife into it.
The cold steel no sooner touched the
beasts skin than it gave deep Groul
and jumped up, knocking the knife out
of Nohps hand and surprising him so
much as to almost deprive him of con.
sciousness. The bear no sooner gained
his feet than be Jumped on his would be
dissector. The man was helpless, and it
would have been the work of only few
moments for the maddened animal to
make an end of him. Nohl reached out
for his knife as soon as he OWNED the
animals intention, but it was too far
away. There was no use in making
fight, 80 Nohl lay face down on the
ground to keep the bear away from his
throat as possible. Bruin took hold Of
his enemy and made great effort to get
his paws around him, SO that he could
crush him to death.
He nearly succeeded, and at the same
time was attempting to swallow NohPs
head. It seemed as if it could last only
a moment mcre, but just then another
actor appeared on the scene.
1t was a,pauthor, and he went for the
bear tooth and nail, and in an instant
took it's attention from the man. When
it sprapg it got on the bears back, and
there it stuck, biting and scratching
fercely. Nohl had not been hurt to
amount to anything, 80 he got on HE
feet and took hand in the fight.
By the time he was ready for business
things were looking bad for the panther,
which had been shaken from the bears
back and was making hot fight face to
face. In time the bear would have had
the best of it, but Nohl put stop to the
contest by sending ball into its hearts
at short range. 1t rolled over at once
dead this time beyond any hope of recov.
cry.
As the bear rolled over the panther let
go and walked to one side, looking at the
bear curiously. Nohl's first impulse was
to turn his rifle on it and thereby increase
his days work but an instant's reaec-
tion caused him to change his mind. He
knew that the panther had risked its life
to save his, and he concluded to let it go
unless it attacked him. But this the pan
thar had no intention of doing, nor has it
ever shown any inclination to do so
since.
AS soon as Nohl made up his mind
that he Was safe from the panther he
went to work to skin the bear. This
time there was no trouble and the sharp
knife soon had the skin nicely spread
out. While the work was going on the
panther lay on the ground few feet
away watching the operation. He seem.
ed pleased with all that had been done,
and whenever Nohl looked his way
would raise his head aud curl his tail
pleasantly.
Nohl is an old hunter, and has seen
dozens of strange actions on the part of
animals, but he never before saw wild
panther lie on the ground few feet
away from man unless it was dead. As
be went on with his work he puzzled
over the animals strange actions, but
could give himself no satisfactory ex-
planation. The panther seemed like a
dog, and the man rubbed his eyes sevs
raj times to make sure he saw things
right, and the next moment he would
make up his mind that he vas dreaming
and likely to wake up 1t was a strange
experience, but Nohl concluded he would
have the bear skin and not kill the pam
ther unless it was absolutely necessary to
save his own life.
When he had removed the skin from
the bear he bundled it up and started
home, half expecting the panther to
jump on him every moment. But it did