The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-07-13
A Texas Black Panther.


gast, small farmer living near Cole.
man, Texas, left home, seeking
young COW which had strayed from
her pasture and failed to turn up when
milking time came. Prendergast had
gone nearly quarter of mile when
he was overtaken by his wife, who
brought him his pistols, explaining
that as she had seen him walk away
she had been seized with PRESENT.
ment of danger and, remembering
that her husband was unarmed, she
had followed with the weapons.
Prendergast laughed at the woman,
but took the pistols, securing them
about his waist.
Nothing was to be seen of the
missing animal on the prairie, so the
farmer resolved to search the belt of
timber about four or FIVE miles away.
This he did pretty thoroughly without
coming across any trace of the COW,
when he found broken place in a
thicket where some animal had gallop-
ed about as if in terror, the ground
being cut up with hoof marks, while
the herbage and undergrowth was
sprinkled with blood. Following these
marks Pendergast came across other
indications that convinced him that
the COW he was in search of had here
been wounded in some way, and had
gone wild with her pain. Soon he
discovered the place where she had
fallen only to rise again and 20 running
on, the blood spots growing more
frequent, wetting the grass in pools.
Prendergast drew his pistols and
followed the trail, which led him
deeper into the woods, and presently
came upon the COW lying under tree
dead, with large object at its throat,
tearing it open and tapping the blood
as it flowed. This object as the farmer
drew near raised its head, and revealed
itself as an enormous wildcat of the
variety known as the black panther
from its size and perfectly round
black spot just between the eyes.
Without quitting its prey the big
cat turned snarling toward the farmer,
its coarse fur bristing with a warning
of its ferocity and determination to
hold its ground. Prendergast fired at
it, but tine shot only splintered the
tree behind it. The wildcat rose, how.
ever, and faced its enemy, watching
him with bloodshot eyes and open
snarling mouth, waving its tail as
cat does when creeping upon a bird,
but made no attempt to attack the
farmer, until, firing second time, he
cut off one of the tasseled ears close
tc the head. Then with scream of
fury the beast crouched for a moment
and sprang forward.
Prendergast fired directly into its
face, but unstayed by the shot that
cut away the tip end of its muzzle
and left it bleeding profusely, the cat
had nearly reached him when in
sudden panic the farmer ran behind
the tree. But the cat was after him,
and though he lodged, aiming to
keep the trunk of the tree between
him and the now thoroughly enraged
animal, the creature was too quick for
him, and springing forward caught
him, and flinging itself upon him bore
him to the ground. Prendergast struck
at the cat with the butt end of one of
his pistos, but the animal seized his
right arm in its teeth and tore at the
flesh.
In his fall the farmer had gotten
his left arm under him in way that
rendered him all but helpless in the
power of his antagonist, and the cat
bit and tore at him with its teeth and
nails until his entire body was nearly
raw. Prendergast struggled desper-
ately, but was not able to throw off
the cat, which only dug its claws the
deeper into his flesh for his twistings
and writings. But realizing that it
was question now Of only short
time till the animal killed him, the
farmer made one supreme effort and
succeeded in releasing his arm. With
this he was able to draw the other
pistol from his belt, and placing it
close to the blunt head on his breast,
pulled the trigger and fired. The
charge entered the brain, tearing away
one side of the skull and dashing the
brains and blood over the face of the
PROSTATE man.
When night came on and her hus-
band did not return Mrs. Prendergast
grew uneasy and started out to look
TOR him, but meeting a neighbor, who
told her that he had seen Prendergast
IN town that afternoon, she returned
nome. But as morning came without
bringing him she rode over to see her
informant of the day before, who ad.
mltted finally that he might have been
mistaken in the man he had seen, and
who offered to go with her to seek
her husband.
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