The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-16
GOT A PANTHER ON HOOK.
A KIND or FISHING THAT IzAAh
WALTON NEVER WROTE ABOUT.
Lac Was Baited for Cstsmount, but IL Hello
when the Bigger Game Teok Hold frils
Landed with = shotEun-How an Ozark
Mountain Boy Saved His Uncle's Mutton

Mountain boy Saved His Uncie's Mutton
The man with store" nshinR tackle laid
the rod down on the grassy bank and turheo
to the man who was getting the lunch ready.
This kind OF fishing goes he said. when
there's no other kind around, but fishing for
panther ia the real thing"
Row panther" asked the other man. open
ing a bottle Of beer.
Just fishing for panther. that's all
But how the dickens d. you nsh for pan
ther7" insisted the other man. still busy with
the lunch. Il never heard Of such a thing
/ thought they hunted for panther
Some do, and then again some hsh for them
That's the way ! did
well. : said the other man, hopeless OF get
ding directly at the matter. you como ahead
and get away with your part OF this lunoh'
and while you eat youll forget how bad " 10
In telling me how TO FISH for panther
The panther fisherman drew up TO tho feast
and az he ate he talked.
when I was a boy Of 10 or thereabouts.'
he said. my father died in Tennessee and !
went 10 live with an uncle in the Ozark Noun
tain country Of Arkansas My uncle's farm
was in . country whore the catamounts grew
on trees and We had lot OF trouble with them
and other varmints keeping them OF the sheep.
We had only about a hundred and couldn't
aITOT0 70 lose any, 80 We Httu Wy N iOs SoDN
near the sheep sheds, and I used to sleep there
with a gun handy for any marauders that might
come along. A catamount IA a mighty sharp
animal and I never got a shot at one that did
any harm, 80 I bega n to study up som plan
10 get q scalp, and I finally concluded to try
fishing.
Il got three big sturgeon hooks-you know
what they are llke-fastened 10 a fine steel chain
about sir feet long that was strong enough TO
haul a haystack with, and TO the chain tied
about fifty feet Of new hemp rope. My uncle
made fun Of me and wanted 10 know II I was
going 10 use a reel and what kind Of fly did
use, but I told him to mind his own business
and give me a chance. When | had my tackle
ready took a piece Of fresh meat and buried the
hooks In 1t lust deep enough TO catch hold easy
whan II was time for them TO begin business.
Then carried the bait out toward the woods
from the cabin the full length Of the line, and
slippins the other end through q 10 by "a window
We bad in the door. I Hoped 1t over q post in
| the cabin for anchorage.
TT was about q o'clock whom I had everything
in shape and the moon was shining Ike. a big
silver plate In the sky' I LAY down with ths
Grow sn over The Sy n ms s'P Z 'G ea"@nsRs a RV Cstam w"r'p
asleep, How long I .lsrt | don't know. lhu,
1 Tss . d psnt Rs1 S{ STI T f fsST heard i" tsGm nFHsstfqree,,
awake ! was G9a "a any M isGs !" we're Sa '"'i b%d A%e eno %idS
snt the e'3F tE time. were wG had had lo them W SoSe
forget all about ny catamount bait and ranged
had one on each side Of tho cabin 10 command
all spproachee--with the shotgun olenched IN
my Fn hand ID as u sK 1t we groS 50m me-. r64 aIye nh thaf Was WA,
scared and shakv on my pegs: and not scared
either exactly. FOR I was Jerfectly cafe in the
grv. panther. even when he Is behind a wall. Is
liable 10 be aeitated and ! wa that 20 such an
EVENT that couid hardy IL IL en my ihSe 70 6he
other screeoh In a minute or two after I got 10
the window and the sheep In The sheds began
know II there II ANYTHING that scares a sheep
IT. {, e p sGG GG,. The r9sc,i dop b1,t y . Hgnt AFTER .,G GStEc
drives the curl out Of their wool.
4 located him by his next screech, and he
came slipping out t of the he q tdhicGci and az sc creS
plain as day, and he was a sight to behold.
SSr%oefu as an angel and az smooth as a ser
pent as he crept through the grass with the
very motion Of a snake, and not as If he had
from him when he appeared. and rs he had 10
pass close 70 the cabin TO get 10 the sheep shed
entrance. | laid In wait 10 surprise him. Blamed
if / didn't think my heels would knock holes
in the puncheon floor. I was shaking 80. and II
the panther hadn't been 30 intent on having NUT
ton chops for supper he could have heard me.
When he was within thirty yards | raised the
gun toward the window and for the first time
noticed that l had been too excited 10 cock ii.
| was in a hurry now. Of course. and | grabbed
az the hammer and threw II back with a rush.
Click, snap. something went inside the lock.
dishrag. had broken the handspring.
That left me helpless as far as offensive
warfare was c9ncernHda; and ,hI being on the de-
! stood still. watching the panther slipping
along, and hoped he would get near enough
10 take tho bait, because, you know, the feline
kind are not hunters bv scent and want to see
their prey, Did YOU ever see a cat lose n mouse
in The grass and not be able to lnd l. Ill she
nose' l was afraid the, panther was going by
the bait, but there was a little water In his path.
The change OF course brought him face 10 face
with the piece Of juicy lamb | had set ont as a
late late. lY ssSh for e snSS2%, for bs ss sSSoi he must aust
ieaped for II. ard he didn't wait for any cat
PLAYING. but Ru'ped It right down;
realized that all was not exactly as Il should
be, and he lay fiat on his belly and began to
bothered him too. for he could not get it down
his throat neither could he get i out OF his
tween his paws like a cat does when she gets a
string tangled in her mouth. kept still. and
knew I would see more Of him before we parted
company. The ~bleatlng of the sheep moved
him presently, and he got up, shaking his head
and pawing his face and mouth 20 get the chain
away. He started for the shed again. but the
rope pulled on him, and reached for my end Of
II and gave il a good hard Jerk TO set the hooks
inside Of him. You ought 10 have seen that
panther jump, but he Jumped In the direction
Of the pull and not against IL. for / guess when
the hooks took bold they must have hurt him.
He soreeched az II they did. anyway. I held
onto the rope and he bounced around and
rolled oyer soreechine. Then | started TO haul
In, | thought when I began this part Of my
fishing he would probably get away, but II
hurt him 50 TO pull back that | dragged him up
wanted him there 1 copldnt'' tell.
window as he came, up reluctantly in Response
20 my pull. for, with a yell, the rope Stacked,
and he came AT the window ms Y he would get
at me in spite OF everything. / dropped the
rope and backed over into a corner Of the cabin,
while he tore nj the door with his claws like a
miner with n pick. Not being able 10 do any
harm he backed away and lay down about q
dozen feet from the door, whore he once more
began his attempts TO get the chain out of his
mouth or down his throat. l came up TO the
rope again and began playing him once more,
and II was more exciting than any trout play
ing you ever saw, for that panther was a terror
when he tried TO get away, and worse when
! he tried to claw his way through the door.
i let him rest awhile and presently he got up
and tried 10 make a sneak for the woods. |
never said a word, but when he got TO the end
Of the line and the hooks began to pull on his
| ingidaS ha Looked around In a eiotpafa,.d