The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-08
he rocky gulch, where the panther had

the rocky gulch, where the panther had
made its spring.
His apparently hopeless condition
dawned upon him with such peculiar
force that he was just about to lose con-
seriousness again when he heard noise
as II made by something approaching the
mouth of the cavern. Was il man or
beast, rescurer or captor, life or death!
SUCH thoughts as these flashed through
the mind of the marshal. who was almost
ready TO give up in despair; but the i'm
preston that some one had thrown water
into his face furnished a slender thread
10 sustain his hope.
In moment which seemed almost like
an hour he saw enter the grotto a tall
muscular man, carrying in his hands a
broad brimmed slouched nat full of water.
II was Rabe Davis, the terror of the
mountains. But the officer had no fear
of him now, since il must have been he
who threw the water into his face and
was returning again on his mission Of
mercy. His opinion of the moonshner
quickly arose above par. This huctua-
ton, 1t seemed, was not mutual, for
when Davis came near enough to see that
his patient was sitting up and apparently
convalescent the mountaiueer dashed the
water upon the floor and fed from the
cave The marshal tried TO detain him
long enough TO express his gratitude for
deliverance, but he was too weak to make
himself heard, and Rabe passed out of
sight, leaving the dazed marshal
TO solve the mystery of his remarkable
rescue alone.
When he had sufficiently recovered TO
| regain his feet he struck match, and on
looking around was shocked TO behold
| lying, almost at his feet, the dead bodies
Of two panthers, either of which was
nearly as large as himself. Both had
| been shot through the head by a weapon
of large calibre. The floor of the cave
was literally covered with the wool of
| sheep and the carcasses of small animals.
! As soon as possible he quilted the cave,
and as he walked feebly from its entrance
| he felt sure that pair of keen eyes some
| where not far away were watching his
| movements But he was not afraid of
! their possessor before this terrible expe-
| rience ana felt that he had less grounds
to fear him now. So, without pretending
to suspect the presence Of any one, he
went away as fast as possble.
He soon reached his horse, and there
found his associates, who, fearing that
harm had befallen him, were preparing to
make a search. His injuries were not
| serious, and few days rest at a cabin
down in the settlement brought him
around all right
While waiting for his wounds to heal
he was able to learn the other side of his
fearful experience. The old moonshiner
had seen the marshal, previous to the at
| tack of the pauthers, and had rightly
judged. from the latter's skullxing actions
that an effort was being made by a posse
to surround and capture him. He could
| have killed the officer dozen times, but
decided to conceal himself until he passed
and then 90 on about his business as
though nothing had happened While
looking around for some place to hide
he saw the cave and slipped into it. He
soon discovered that he was in the den of
some wild animals, but hid himself on a
shelf of rocks, where he could see the en-.
trance, and putting his trusty Winches'
ter in convenient position. he awaited
developments.
He had not been long IN this attitude
when he was Mortified TO see two huge
panthers enter the cave, bearing between
them the limp and apparently dead body
| of the officer. They had caught up the
body by the clothing, about the shoulders
and were dragging ii headforemost. All
the hatred he had borne toward the reve
nue. raider fled from the breast Of the ole
moonshiner in the presence of their com,
mon enemies, and, as soon as they haC
laid down their burden, he determined K
save the unfortunate man from an awful
fate.
lie was man OF supreme nerve, ana az
soon as the panthers got far enough away
from their prey two reports reverberateS
through the grewsome den, and two pros
trate and dying monsters bore witness L
his deadly aim. Leaping from his hiding
place, the old man hurried to a stream
close by, filled his hat with water, and
returning, threw it into the face of this
unconscious marshal. This wholesome
application had the desired effect. and HI
was sitting up when Davis returned will
the second hatful.
Davis had been born and bred in an at
mosphere where a revenue officer was re
garded as the embodiment of treachery
and as soon as he had killed thepanthers
and revived Ray, he fled, lest the office
should he ungratetul enough to try t
arrest him. AS he left the cave he did
not fail TO pick up his gun, which he hat
left at the entrance. lie hid in the
laurels where he could command a view
OF the cave. and saw the marshal depart
He followed him at a distance until h
reached his friends, and then turnet
back into the mountains, with a consci
BUSINESS that he had done his whole duty
TO his old enemy.