Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-01-09

had an adventure that was highly ex.
citing. About 4 o'clock one afternoon
Hart and Sturgls put out on the lake
in their boat, and, after pulling down
stream half mile, stopped to fish.
"This ought TO be n good place for
fishing" Hart remarked.
For nearly an hour the men sat ex.
pectantly in the boat. Neither got a
bite. The purple of the mountain
tops was fast growing deeper.
"Lets give it up growled Hart.
Sturgis was nothing loath. The lines
We're reeled in. Sturgis picked up the
oars, first pulling in tho anchor.
"I've got an ilea," said Hart. "Pull
ashore; we'll tie up the boat and walk
to camp" "All right" said Sturgis;
"l'm not dead stuck on pulling up
stream"
Sturgis dug the oars rather smartly
into the water, and the boat started
swiftly shoreward. "Stop!" yelled
Hart in m affrighted voice, before
the boat had gone ten yards. Sturgis
backed water. "What's tho matter?'
he cried. "Look!" shouted Hart,
pointing to the line Of earth that the
waters Of the lake were laving less
than forty feet away.
Sturgis looked and saw an enormous
panther. "Grcat goodness !" gaspel
SturSis. Just then they heard
long, plNintive howl behind them.
They looked around and saw on the
opposite shore panther fully as large
as the one that had first startled them.
"That's the mate" said Hart "these
blamed woods are full of panthers,
We've got to row to camp" As Stur.
gis stopped to pick up the oars there
was loud splash. The panther they
had first seen had leaped into the
water.
"The beast is making for us, Stur-
gis," yelled Hart.
"Shoot him !" shouted Sturgis."
II haven't got thing to shoot
with" answered Hart.
Another loud splash was heard. The
second panther had jumped into the
water. Like the first one, it WAS
swimming direct to the boat. With
ferocious panther approaching the
boat from each side, the situation be-
camo serious. Being unarmed, their
peril was douDly great. AS the first
panther neared the boat and came
within reach of an oar SturgIs made
savage hit at it. The panther lodged,
sank and came up almost against the
little crafts sides. So absorbed were
tue men in this animals tactics that
they forgot the other panther. Two
sharply clawed feet fastening them.
selves on the gunwale of the boat
brought them to sense Of their
danger.
"Hit him on the paw!" yelled Hart,
as he dropped on his knees and held
tightly on to the other side Of the
boat to keep it from capsizing.
Sturgis brought the blade OF an oar
sharply down on the panther's fore
paws. Tie animal uttered shrek
and sank back out of sight.
Meanwhile the first panther swan to
tie rear OF the boat behind Sturgis
and made frantic efforts to get in The
vessel. The boat was rocking violently
and threatened every moment TO keel
over.
Hart quickly grasped one of the
oars, and, circling it through the mir,
brought it toward the animal. The
oar struck the edge of the boats stern,
DETECTED, and caught the panther be-
hind the car, causing the animal to re-
lease its hold. Both pauthers were
now screaming as they swan about the
boat.
'Light a newspaper and flaunt it in
their faces said Sturgis. eff any.
thing will keep them away it is fire." )"
Hart had several old newspapers in
his pocket. Ho set fire to q paper.
Just as he did both panthers swan
side by side to the boat, and, catching
their paws on the gunwale, tried to
tip tho boat.
The animals we're evidently hunger
mad. Hart thrust the blazing paper
into thoir fierce faces. Screaming,
the animals relinquished their hold on
the boat. Sturgis grabbed the oars
and rowed upstream with energy.
The panthers did not follow. judging
from their cries, they swan asEo
and skulked in the thick underbrush.
Hand-to- Claw Fight With Leopard
Professor Daniel G. Elliott has just
returned from the greatest and most
successful African collecting expedi-
tion ever attempted. With Professor
Elliott returns the taxidermist of the
Field Columbian Museum, Mr. g. n.
Akely, and both bear the marks of the
hardship undergone under the burn.
ing heat of an African sun, and of the
dangers that beset the path of those
who follow the trail OF savage beasts
in country infested by equally saw
| age men.
cit is my belief" said Professor
Elliott yesterday, "that Mr.. Akely is
the only man living who has choked
to death leopard. He encountered
the beast on its native heath. 1t wae
slightly wounded, fact which simply
added to Its ferocity. The leopard,
disturbed at its meal, left the carcass
to hurl itself at a man with the full in
tention of changing its breakfast bill
of fare. How Mr.. Akely stood the
shock OF that impact do not know
and cannot yet understand. The leop-
ard was big and heavy, and landed
with its full weight, after spring of
many feet, upon the shoulders and
breast of my companion. Mr.. Akely
had braced hintelf for the encounter,
and, though staggered and nearly fall
ing under the shock of the meeting,
he kept his feet and closed his fingers
on the throat of the infrriated cat. The
creature sunk her teeth into his right
arm three times successively before
the effect Of the choking made itself in
the least felt. The hunter then forced
his left hand actually under the iowls
of the animal and forced it to cease its
biting. With great effort he threw
the leopard, and himself fell upper
most. lie planted his knees Just Mt
the junction OF Tie body and fore legs,
| and in this manner succeeded in keen.