Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-03-16
PANTHER AND WILD BoAR.
Terrific Encounter Between Two Fierce
 Brutea in the MountnIns

part VI the summer, found lnySel1 NC tlenry's Diggings, an abandoned min ing camp nestled among the Sierra Ne vadas in the western part of Fl Dorado county,>Cal. l had gone there for a month of rest and recreation and in- tended to while away the time with hunting and fishing and also doing some occasional prospecting in the | neighborhood.
 During the placer excitement in '50 and '51 Henry's Diggings was one of the most fiourishing camps in that section. At the time of my visit it was little bet ter than a bowling wilderness. The busy hum of mining industry had given way to the howl of the coyote, and save for an occasional ruin of some old time quartz mill or miners cabin, one I would have imagined that no white man had ever trod before in that deso- late region.
 had taken up my quarters in de serted cabin. I had for my companion an old prospector who did the cooking and general housekeeping" We had plenty of flour, coffee and general gro ceries. It was my province to keep the larder stocked with grub" in the way of fish and game, with which the region abounded.
 Bright and early one morning, after a breakfast of "fiapjaclxs" and fried mountain trout, I started out after a flock of quail whose piping notes had aroused my slumbers at daybreak. The birds had alighted in deep canyon about a quarter of mile from the cabin, and the prospect of quail sup l per was certainly inviting. I carried breech-loading shotgun. My cartridges were charged with small birdshot. ''If I stumble across a bear" unused, "Tn be in pretty fix"
 Bob, my setter, was well-trained dog, and when, after an hours scram ble through the brush, saw him sud. denly stop and point, fully cooked my gun and waited. There was something in the dogs manner, however, that caused me to feel trifle nervous. He had never acted that way before in the presence of small game. He trembled in every limb and every now and then he emitted peculiar whine, as if he dreaded the object hidden from view in the thick clump of underbrush directly ahead.
 We, Bob and I, had stood in this manner for several minutes. No game was ill sight and began to grow i'm patient. Fetch him out Bob," sud. denly exclaimed. What's the matter with you2''
 Bob looked at me, reproac chfully thought, and then made a dart at the chapperal My blood fairly froze at what followed. and, in my terror and excitement dropped my gun and stood there rooted to the spot like some graven image. As Bob disappeared be, hind an overhanging rock there broke Sout upon the crisp morning air the most awful scream that I had ever heard, and then the forest echoes were awakened by succession of snarls, } grunts, squealings and another scream, more awful, if possible, than the first.
 Out of the underbrush into the open then came, or rather bounded, the fig ure of an enormous mountain lion, the dreaded panther of the Sierras. In his mouth he held a young pig, one of the wild variety plentiful in that region.
 After him bounded Bob, while follow. ing close upon Bob's heels came large
 sized boar.
 The panther saw me and stopped.
 What then followed happened in less
 time than I could take to tell it. The
 bristles on the boar's back stood ur
 like so many small spikes. His eyes
 were bloodshot with passion. Foam
 dropped from his mouth, out of which
 protruded a pair of wicked lookin z
 tuslxs.
 The boar was after that panther, anG
 the latter seemed to know it, for ht
 dropped his burden and started for
 tree near where I stood. But the boal
 was too quick for him. As if throwr
 from a catapult he hurled himsel
 against his tawny adversary, and witt
 one quick. upward rip had inflicted ghastly wound in the panther's side.
 The latter now turned and showed
 fight. When the boar charged hin again he struck out with his mighty
 paw and tore open the boars fam o with his sharp claws, sending that ani mal rolling over with the force of tn, blow.
 !. Again and again the boar charged only to be knocked over and terribl, gashed by the panther, who no longe ' Iseemed to fear his enraged antagonist During all this time the noise of tn .. combat was deafening. The boa
 squealed and grunted with pain whil . the tpanther kept up a succession o
 growls and snarls, and added to thi
 were the excited barks of Bob, who wa ,a by no means a disinterested spectator
 Both animals were now becoming ex
 hausted and both were covered wit .e ! blood. Finally, in one charge, the boa A managed to rip open the pant sid 70 In such a way that the entrails pro o' truded from the wound. Then tn l panther, with one last dying effort 9' struck the boar blow that sent hin U U flying backward distance of severa - feet
 = The boar was still game, however - and struggled to his feet for a fins - charge. The same look of wicke y ferocity and determination gleame r, from his little eyes. He managed .+ reach the panther's side and then tot " tered and fell. One last grunt he gay .o and rolled over dead.
 The panther looked at his fallen aC ,p versary and gave growl of triumph V. He raised his paw to strike, but hi lv strength was gone. The paw fell O o. the boar's head, and in this position tn