The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1898-12-01
TALES OF PLUCK
AND ADVENTURE.
:2s:'i 7G3EG
Boy-Preacher and Panther.

| A venerable presiding elder of the
/ Methodist Church, Rev. Frank A.
Hardin, now OF the Rockford CIll.)
district, began his ministerial career
at the age of sixteen as ''junior
preacher" in Indiana, when the region
that he served was for the most part
an unbroken wilderness. He spent
most of his time on horseback, and
used his saddle bags at night for pill
lows.
On one occasion, the story of which
was told by Rev. Mr.. Hardin at re-
cent conference, the boy-preacher
found the settlement of Millersville in
high state of excitement over the
ravages of a great panther amongst the
! live stock.
At a wayside cabin Hardin was
warned not TO so on, as the panther
had been seen on the road. and it was
necessary for him to travel at night IN
! order TO meet an appointment for the
next day.
But the servant of the church had
no notion of being turned from his
duty by the presence of wild beast
in the woods. Moreover, he had no
fear, for the moon was shining and
his "claybank'' mare was spirited
animal.
The trail led through dense piece
| of woods known as the Sugar Flats.
Hardin had not gone far into them
before the forest of naples, then in
full leaf, quite shut out the moon.
"a good place this to meet the
! panther" the oy-preacher said to
himself.
Almost at that moment his mare
seemed to drop to the earth, or to
crouch close to the ground. He knew
well enough that she had seen some
thing that he had not, and that that
something was highly dangerous to
them both.
He knew that her next move would
be Jump, and on the instant he pre-
pared himself for possible parting OF
the -girth by gripping the mares
name. He had no sooner done this,
and leaned as far forward as the horn
of the saddle would permit, than the
mare made leap, and went bounding
along the dark trail like lightning.
At the very instant in which she
leaped Hardin heard the most terrible
scream that ever smote his ears. 1t
seemed to come from directly over his
| head: and in less than one second
after the screech and the leap Of his
mare, Hardin heard heavy body
strike the ground in the very spot
where the mare had been standing
while she crouched preparatory to the
spring. She had plunged forward just
in time to avoid the claws of the
panther, which had dropped from the
tree at horse and rider.
Now the mare was flying through
the woods to escape possible pursuit.
Probably Hardin could not have held
her if he had tried-and he did not
try. He had oil he could do to cling
to her back on the uneven ground,
with tree-branches brushing him.
Not until she had reached large
open space on the crest OF a ridge did
Tie mare slacken her pace. Then she
stopped and drew deep, shiver!ng
sigh, as if to say, ''That was narrow
escape for both of usn,'
The mare went on now at an easy
trot, as if she had put the whole cpl
sode behind her. The young preacher
could not say as much, for the terrible
scream of the animal haunted him for
weeks. His destination was the cabin
OF doctor. When he reached there
and told his story, the doctor said:
Nonsense! You must have heard
an owl"
Hardin knew better. but he made
no reply. He was not surprised when,
a little later, the doctor took him aside
and said:
'That was undoubtedly the big
panther that you encountered, butyou
know, I often have to ride at night
through the sugar flats, and my wife
would be in constant terror if she
knew there was a panther there"
In few days two young boys went
into the same woods in quest of wild
turkeys. Reconnoitering a brush
heap, they saw under it huge ami
NAL, watching them exactly rs cat
watches a mouse when preparing to
spring.
One of the boys took aim at the
creatures ead, losing no time in do
ing it, and fired. The panther gave
one kick and died in his lair. The
lads pulled him out and ran for home,
and broug.t their father and neigh
bors. The panther turned out to be
one of the largest ever killed in In
diana.
=. AttacH ID by Venezuelan Tiger.
"To try to hunt the panther-tiger
OF Venezu 3la," writes correspondent
| OF the Ne York Sun, "as the lowland