Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-03-28

an eddy, and from one of the circles
of this eddy he-g got my scent Stop
ping midway in his promenade, he
reared up and shifted the air with saw
age growls, and my heart boat SO hard
that it seemed as:; if hesmust surely
hear it and follow the sound until his
hot breath was on. my face. Sniff
Esnuf-growl! To z the right, to the
left straight ahead After minute
he lost the scent, and then he stood
stock still and uttered continuous
growls as he waited to catch it again.
No, not like statue. His long tail
swept the ground in half circle, and
his ears worked swiftly back and forth.
Blind death waiting toe rend and bite
and tear and kill After minute he
got the scent again. he reared up,
whirled about three or four times as
if on pivot, and then he pointed full
Mt me. A tape line Is feet long would
have covered the ground between US
between where I lay helpless and he
half crouched for spring. If the film
could be torn from those sightless
eyes, how they would CLINT and glitter
and blaze! There was something in
the sound of his 10y growing which
chilled my blood-a menace, a warn
ing of what was to come, which forced
me to shut my eyes and utter last
prayer. Why does he hesitate? What
delays his spring? He waited 80 long
that I argued it out that his blindness
reasoned against his ferocity. He
had been blind for year or two per-
haps. He had never left the cave
alone except to move up and down
over that one route, and he probably
feared fall into the ravine il heyen-
tured q spring. But he finally made
up his mind to try it if the scent held.
L could tell that by his continuous
growls, by the ears laid fat back on
his head, as you have seen in an angry
cat; by the click OF his claws OH the
finty rock as he sought foothold for
n spring. AS he was OF the point of
taking the leap the capricious breeze
played him trick. He suddenly lost
tho scent and walked slowly down the
shelf to pick It up again, perhaps rea-
soning that I nad moved my position.
Ten feet to the right he got it, and
with fierce snarl he crouched and
made the leap.
Did the beast know the lay of the
ground before losing his eyesight, or
was 1t the subtle instinct given to the
feline tribe? 1t was clear leap Of
Is feet-maybe foot or two more.
Only atsttnt spot could he strike the
shelf on which Istood.. He rose in
the air like a bird taking fight, de-
scribed a graceful half-curye in the
air, and landed SO lightly that felt
rather than beard him. He WAS ten
feet away from me, and he reared up
and snuffed at tho air in every direc-
tion. Upto that instant my broken
ribs had given no pain. All of sud
den it seemed as if knives were cutting
into the flesh, and had to clencl my
hands and shut my teeth hard to pre-
vent scream from passing my lips.
But for the wind and the snow the
beast must have got my scent 80 close
at hand. There was such swirl that
he was at fault, and he did not walk
along the ledge. On the contrary, after
about two minutes, he leaped back
across the ,rayine and disappeared into
his den. Then, with many groan
and half-suppressed ejaculation, I
drew myself back until ] rested
against the cliff. I knew that my
ribs were broken, and that unless dis
covered by accident I could never
leave that ledge alive. 1t certainly
had set in for snowstorm, and it took
only few moments almost to hide me
from sight under the white mantle.
This was my salvation again. AS the
pain made me half unconscious, full
grown female panther, followed by a
cub which may have been year old,
scrambled down the rocks on the op-
posite side of the rayine to. the den OF
the blind beast Some taint of my
presence must have been in the air,
even though so faint they could not
locate me. They snarled in anger and
shifted at the air, 0nd'it seemed to me
as if both looked directly at me for
several seconds If they did SO I was
so buried under the. snow that they
failed to make out what sort of an OBJ
ject ! was. They finally turned and
disappeared in the cave, but were out
OF sight only MON emit s. When they
reappeared the blind panther was with
them, and the three scrambled up the
rocks and disappeared in the forest.
There had been n killing somewhere,
and they had come to conduct him to
the feast. Perhaps they brought to
him food now and then, but he must
have had to, 60 with them for water.
It mattered little to me whether The
panthers went or remained. Had
been free from injury believe I could
have made my way up the cliff, though
it was dangerous climb, but with
broken RIBS could do nothing but
wait. Would they set out in search
when I did not return to camp at
dark? OF what use, as the falling
snow had blotted out my trail until
the keenest bloodhound would have
49, L.po50y T& go, 4 -, cIool, - :,