The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-01-25
FELL SIX FEET SHORT.
A PANTHER'S LEAP FROM AN
UNSOUND LIMB.
Tho Wood spiIntsred and the Mans Life
Was saved-Tio intended Victim Was
too rrie htened to Move or Call for
He!p-Carcfully Calculated.


too rrie htened to Move or Call for
He!p-Carcfuliy Calculated.
1t being too hot to move about in
the afternoon, had the natives sling
my hammock between two small
trees about fifty PAGES from the tent.
In this position | got the full shade
Of large tree to the south, and was
far enough away from the chatter
ing natives to rest undisturbed by
their voices. / fell asleep at about 2
o'clock, and my awakening two hours
later was very quick one. l was
lying on my right side, facing the
big tree and looking into the forest
| beyond. Tho first big limb on the
| tree was about fifteen feet from the
| ground and branched to the east
| The trunk of the tree, as we after
ward ascertained, was exactly thirty
| four feet from my hammock, while
the limb was foot further did
| not awake with q start, nor did rub
my eyes and yawn. | simply opened
my eyes as if had shut them only
minute before, and l found myself
looking at the limb | have spoken of.
Nv vision was focused on the spot
about six feet from the trunk, and
though / was gazing in a dreamy
way ! felt sudden thrill. In the
semidarkness l caught sight of two
fiery eyes and made out the form of
|
limb.
The wonder is that / did not start
up with shout to the natives, but,
so far as can remem Der, | could not
move hand or foot 1t was a sort of
nightmare that held my limbs and
yet | was awake and had all my
senses but that OF feeling. The ma
tives had gone down to the river to
fish, leaving the camp quite alone,
and aside from the hum OF insects
and the occasional note of bird the
| neighborhood was as quiet as il
6 nothing lived. While did not move
r finger the beast saw my eyes open
and raised his head | realized in a
. | fash that it was panther, and that
: | was the game he was after. Prowl'
ing through the Jungle, he had got
: my scent and followed it up. AS the
: hammock was not over two feet from
t the ground he could have crept ur
l and picked me out of it, but he wa!
t probably bit puzzled over the arti
1 Gle. He had climbed the tree to ge
r a view from above, and twenty sec
J, onds after l got my eyes on him
! knew he meant to attack me. Had
: suddenly sat up and flung my arm
] about and shouted he would probabl,
I have made off, but could not hav
moved a finger If dozen lives de
pended on it.
"It's a male panther and larg
one," l unused as got the outline c
his form. "a panther is capable {
making prodiglous leap, but
doubt if he can cover that distance
AS the limb is parallel with the han
\ mock he labors under disadvantag
!. in making a spring. He will try
though. His ears are lying fiat, hi
]. tail moving, and his lip has falle
down till his yellow fangs are plai
to view. If he had run of ten fee
along that limb he could clear til
a hammock, but as it is he must lea
~ sideways. Hear his claws tearin
the bark See how the red in h
eyes changes to green and glints lih
u diamond in the glare of the SUI
90 If | could set the hammock swingir
it might brighten him, but | cam
6, move muscle. All! He's movir
farther out to get an advantage, b
he does not find it. Every inch h
, got to be figured on the spring
: will make. He backs up to h
a. original position and snarls and spi
}; II like an angry cat. He's working ,
rap his nerve to make the spring"
ntg Hark There's movement in Il
BOG. thicket! 1t can't be one OF the II
~. tives, and no party of hunters won
- approach from that direction. II
and panther lattens himself down on t
10. limb and looks down and growla.
uess, minute later he snarl5 and splits, a
eFF,, / hear the wool" Of a byena as
''nh trots away For half u minute t
I'm beast on the limb seems to BIO sizi
- me up. He has never seen IN
GG lying in q hammock before, but b
.S sure it's man, living or dead. He
r 4. come in the next few seconds.
For hear the sound Of his claws
- they take d firm hold, and there Is
rs, movement to his shoulders VIII
~ cannot be mistaken. He gives
al. tail three or four angry hirts, shal
no NO his head as if annoyed by flies {
then I see great ball in the air
~, tween me AMI the limb 1t is &C
y ~ ing straight at me. and with q J
I? {, Get come to sitting posture just
y" time to see the panther strike
earth. He comes down just six
! III short, sinks deep into the alluv
iitor and turns end over end past the h
of the hammock into the busi
70, His movements are so swift that
eye can hardly follow them, and
gG has disappeared while yet seem
y see him ending over. There l
and he had only to come and eat
III. but he did not return.
ia- With snarls and roars he char
"a right through the camp at the
" tives returning from the river
! was upon them before they got
rsE alarm, and without seeming to p,
W. for an instant he tit one and ella
-,1E two others so savagely that
Eight were laid up for weeks. While
aW "av were measuring the panther's
sub one OF the natives ascended the
i to the limb to inspect it. 1t
i not sound limb, and just where
's1 I'' animal had placed his hind fe
"a great splinter had been torn avs
lNNa ..Givn him due credit Sahih. "