The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-08
PANTHERs LUaaED HIM OFF.
Rescued from the Beasts by Moon.
sinner Whom He Was Hunting.

Rescued from the Beasts by a Moon
sinner Whom He Was Hunting.
From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat.
johnson City, Tenn, April 12.-Deputy
Marshal Harry Ray, had terrible expe-
rience with panthers last Tuesday in the
Holstein mountains while trying to arrest
Rabe Davis, a notorious moonshiner.
Davis had been defying the officers for
two or three years, and was regarded as
bold. desperate man. His actual en-
counters with revenue raiders, however,
had not been as n Imerous as the instances
of the latter's inability TO cope with his
cunning. The general region in which
Rabe was supposed to opera To his still and
hide himself, when there was danger from
without, had been located by the marshal,
and as the old moonshiner had persistently
refused to be entrapped by the snares and
subterfuges set and devised for him, il
was decided that Ray and his three asso-
ciates should separate and steal into the
old violator's stronghold from four differ
ent directions, meeting, after the search,
on high peak, which could be seen from
almost any part of that country. 1t was
about one mile and a half from the four
starting points to this eminence.
Deputy Ray, who is man of splendid
nerve, chose the toughest route, and the
one Dy winch ne was most likely 10 meet
the oh. ect of the search He had not pro-
ceeded far, on horseback, until he was
compelled TO dismount. 1t was impossi-
BILE for the horse to 20 further over such
a rough country, and, besides, it was
safer, as his life PROBABLY depended on
his seeing Davis before Davis saw him
so. after lettering his horse, he proceeded
on foot.
AS he approached a deep, dark hollow,
\ al,
was sure he heard something not far
ahead of him He hid behind a tree and
waited for some time, but as he could
hear nothing more ne was soon slipping
ahead AGAIN The idea Of a wild animal
never had occurred to him, and he fully
expected to meet the old moon
sinner every minute, Across the
bottom of the hollow was
fallen tree, which rested about ten or fif-
teen feet from the ground. The marshal
started 10 walk across the log 10 the
other side. This was about the last act
in the search Of which he has anything
like distinct recollection. When he was
about midway of this accidental footing
he heard a noise in the trees overhead
His hand dropped instantly TO his six
shooter as he looked in the direction from
whence came the sound He was almost
paralyled with sudden and terrible fear
CEOuCuIIR upOl du ChbCuuCu llLlD OIL d
tree, ten feet from his head, was a huge
panther. His courage returned as quickly
as il had gone, but he had only time to
draw the weapon from his belt when the
monster plunged at him, He lodged its
leap, but his loot slipped on the log and
he fell so heavily that he was rendered
unconscious when he struck the stony
bottom of the gulch.
just how long he remained in this con-
dition the marshal could not tell II
seemed to him only a moment, but, in
fact, it was quite an hour, during which
time this powerful beast and its mate
dragged him to their den, more than a
hundred yards up the gorge AS con
seriousness began to return. the first idea
that occurred to him was that water had
been dashed into his face Next he re
memDered the ferocious beast and his
fall. The whole terrible picture toated
before his dazed senses like a dream. But
he was rescued and surrounded by mys-
terry. He struggled up to a sitting post
ure and tried TO speak, but he was too
faint to utter a sound. and seemed to be
partially blind. The strange, damp at
mosphere and semi-darkness puzzled him
for few moments, but his efforts to re-
store his vision soon revealed to him the
astounding fact that he was not blind,
but in cave This discovery brought
with it the startling realization that he
was in The panther's den. and that ne
was expected TO furnish that animal us
next neal His hand haunted for his re-
volver again. IL was gone II had fallen
from hand and was lying at the bottom OF