The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-31

day. when there were signs In
the air of coming snowstorm.
:" / left. camp on my own hook
and wandered away for three or
four miles After an hour or two,
as / stood resting beside tree.
a deer broke cover In front OF
me and only a pistol shot away. 1t was
a fine buck and he walked into the open
as cool and unconcerned as n hunter had
never thirsted for his life. ought to have
dropped him dead at that distance but
no fell at my fire, to get up and limp away
and, believing him TO be wounded mortal
ly. / followed at my best pace. The
ground was rough and cover6d with young
cedars, and. being bit excited, paid
little heed to what was under foot.
or a sudden found myself falling, and.
as / went down. I droppd my gun to
clutch at the nearest branches. went
down twelve or fifteen feet pvef the edge
of a rayine, struck on my feet, and then
plunged forward and brought up on
ledge or shelf about four feat wide by ten
feet long. This shelf overhung depth 20
black and dismal that dared not wonder
how far down It was to the tiny stream 1s
flowing over the rocks at thu bottom. The
ravine was about fifteen feet wide. and
directly opposite me, In mass OF rocks.
was an opening which Iknew at first
glance to be the den Of sorse wild animal
/ did not take note Of these things at
once, for in the fail I had broken two ribs
and been badly bruised, mo Wa anos.
Unconscious for quafta OF an nour.
When rallied bit found wall hfteen
or twenty feet high behind me, and - for
the ravine in 'front.' could not have
crossed or descended into 1t even lad
not been injured 4 mao Wse MA 49, VIZ .o
situauon wnen tne shy srew ~
VINO swepl w 'no as,. ~,,,r,.S E,ns
drawn moan, ana snownakes Wnili v nnz.
~ AROUND my neaa. ! coum no. .sn q als,s
now Daoiy was nur', as ,l'o1s =. =. M:
seemed 70 pc asleep, anu ~, I ~.
taueo - Nnu ou.' sa..ss s.s.,ss h.,n
mles ironi ca,p anu a....s. X. sasi .Son,.
was iyns 49, ~. 49, - IN
wouiu pecolno sasio. 49, ..,.s - ls,.er
snock as heariy p"' WIS
asa'
Faced by nm Enormous CatanPumts
Directly in front of me, across tfe RAJ
vine, coming out of his den withgreat
| dignity, appeared the largest partner
| ever had SEEN He stood snufI1ng he air
| and looking full at me, and whent feai-
| ICED how helpless / was things turned
| dark and I groaned in despair. II was
| only a fair leap for the beast ac1ss the
| ravine, and expected him to mae 1t at
| once and attack me; but as the hinutes
| passed away and he still hesitate. I be-
| gan to wonder over his actide. He
| turned to the left and trotted ahg over
! the ground q distance of abou twenty
| feet. Then he wheeled and .passd the den
/ by about the same distance fe other
| way When he had gone over his beat
| two or three times discovered that was
| the matter. Az he came towardne got
| a clear view, and saw that he 5as stone
/ blind. There was a white film yer each
| eve and he could not have sA tree
In his path.
| A blind panther out for exejse-blind
| death trotting along in frontf me, SO
I helpless that he could not haymade MS
| eyes keep him from starvapn You
/ have seen the panther hnned In
| n cage. his limbs stiffened, III teeth bro
! ken and his savage nature tod down by
long imprisonment and the fight of hui
manity until he scarcely Arls at the
cane thrust to stir him up. snis one, de-
spite his misfortune, was fhe. supple,
vigilant--a combination ofFreng.n ana
fierceness possessed only tne non o.
the tiger. Disease or accift haa pima
ed him, but ne possessq every o.ner
power nature gives to the Deast.
| Instinct had taught MIN nay OF the
! ground. He may nave Hoo over ~
| thousand times. his moYIen,s were ~
iesu,a ao e'iS -.,- n rat,,r,,. t,,.t
SO far down the ravlne Ie.urn' JUST
so far up the ravine anfe.un. IN go
Ing down he avoided slunteu ceuar
growing IN crevice IN tiIochs' IN going
up he avoided push I'll was IN me
direct path. Grace, lifness. strenstn,
frocity. The lower JaWas uoWn' ana
had hne view Oh tnefss WHICH couiu
rend the hide or horS AZ every move
the terrible claws clfo ana srateo-
claws which would sin me Done OF q