Mesa free press., 1899-01-20
soY.PREAcHER AND PANTHER.
| Thrilling Adventure in the Wilder
ness of Early Indiana.

Methodist Church, Rev. Frank A. Har.
din, now of the Rockford, Illinois. dis
trict, began his ministerial career al
the age of sixteen as Junior preach
err In Indiana, when the region that ne
served was for the most part an un-
broken wilderness. He spent most OF
his time on horseback, and used his
saddle-bags at night for pillows.
On one occasion, the story of which
was told by Rev. Mr.. Hardin at a re-
cent conference, the boy preacher found
the settlement Of Millersville in high
state of excitement over the ravages
of great panther amongst the live
stock.
At a wayside cabin Hardin was
warned not to go on, as the panther had
been seen on the road and it was neces.
sary 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 a wild beast In the
woods. Moreover, he had no fear, for
the moon was shining and his ''clay-
bank" mare was a spirited animal.
The trail led through a dense piece
Of woods known as the Sugar Flats.
Hardin had not gone far into them be-
fore the forest Of naples, then in full
leaf, quite shout out the moon.
"A good place this to meet the pan
ther," the boy-preacher said to him
self.
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 saddle-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 leap
ed Hardin heard the most terrible
scream that ever smote his ears It
seemed to come from directly over his
head; and In less than one second afte,'
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 all he could do to cling to her
back on the uneven ground, with tree
branches brushing him.
Not until she had reached a large
open space on the crest of ridge did
the mare slacken her pace. Then she
stopped and drew a deep, shivering
sigh, as if to say, "That was a narrow
escape for both of us!'
The mare went on now at an easy
trot, as if she had put the whole epi-
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 PAN
ther that you encountered, but you
know / 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. Accommodating brush-heap,
they saw under 1t a huge animal,
watching them exactly as cat watches
mouse when preparing to spring.
One Of the boys took aim at the crea-
ture's head, losing no time in doing it,
and fired. The panther gave one kick
and died In his lair. The lads pulled
him out and ran for home, and brought
their father and neighbors. The PAN
ther turned out to be one Of the largest
ever killed in Indiana.
A Strange Marriage.
While a woman, aged 26, an ironer
by trade. was being charged before the
Harlesden magistrates with bigamy, a
curious scene took place. The mother
was the chief witness against her