The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-04

hunger were almost satiszsd: and
finally reaches sapling growing al
most at the base of the cliff and begins
to rub against IL
Thirty feet below me is another tut
ting mass of rock. entirely bare except
for single stunted bush. II is twenty
feet above the horse and the same dis
lance away. I have heard nothing
from the rocks and bushes below me
not the snap OF a twig or the rustic Of
a branch-bUt suddenly an object at
tracts my eve. Fairly beneath me a
panther creeps out OF It's lair in the
rocks. and moves forward lie looks
70 the right and TO the left, but not NJ
ward Let me move hand or foot and
his ears vouId catch the sound lie
has heard the horses and crept out 70
investigate. re Is fair shot for me,
but the idea of firing on him does not
occur. As he pulls himself slowly for
ward TO peer over the edge Of the
rock his fur shines like velvet and
the play of all his muscles can be seen
His ears work rapidly and his tai
moves softly 10 and fro. When he
=
sight OF the horse below a sort Of SILVER
passes over him. and for thirty seconds
the tail Is still He i surprised, but
ne soon rallies. His every action for
the next two minutes betravs his in
tentionS- He measures the distance of
the leap TO an inch. He half rises 70
feel if he can get a good foothold on the
rock. He moves To the left 70 be en-
tirely clear of the bush, and when he
sinks down again ] see that he has
gathered his feet under him for the
spring. The tail moves like the pendu-
lum of clock. and l hear a crit.iny
sound as mis- sharp claws meet the sur
face of the rock.
The mustang stands quartering, and
has backed up little to rub his neck.
Only his head Is nov on the far side OF
the tree. Never did victim offer a
fairer target. The panther's ears are
suddenly laid fiat 10 his head. he ut
tiers low. fierce snarl. and while am
watching him with wide-open eyes he
disappears. He shot OF the rock so
swiftly that my eyes could net follow
him. | did not see him in the air, but
] saw him as ne alighted on the horse.
The force of the spring threw the poor
animal down and rolled him over, but
he was up in n fash and the PANTHER
on his back again. This time the saw
age beast was farther forward,
and as the horse reared up
and plunged around / saw the panther
biting at the base of his neck and tear
ing away at the shoulder and leg with
his hind claws. Now raised my rife
TO shoot. but the six other mustangs
came forward with a rush. For thirty
seconds every animal seemed 20 be on
its hind feet and walking in circle,
and all were snorting and neighing.
Then l noticed the panther on the
ground and heard him whining and
bowling like a dog in pain. he was
rolled over and kicked this way and
that, but he somehow managed to get
clear of the hoofS and linped into fun
view | had my rifle ready and gave
him a shot that tumbled him over. and
the sharp report sent the horses gal
Looping out of the valley. The one who
had been assailed galloped of with
the rest. and SO l figured that he could
not have been very severely hurt.
By-and-by l found a way down the
cliff and inspected my prize. lie must
have died within few minutes had
not shot him. Two Of his legs were
broken. one ear bitten of half his tail
gone. and he had brokn several ribs
He had plainly seen the other horses
before his spring. but he had probably
counted on their running sway.-De-
troit Free Press.