CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1901-08-01

An exciting story of fight with
panther is given by a writer in the
Asian. The incident occurred while
three sportsmen were shooting small
game in the western Chats. range OF
mountains in Southern India Listen
ing intently B. fancied that he caught
the word ''bagh," but IL was impossible
to distinguish sounds clearly in the
pandemoniuin that was going on. and
IL seemed almost incredible that any
thing In the way OF big game could
have remained in the beat so late. So
putting the fancy concerning the word
he had heard down in Imagination. or
else the possibility of 4 small wildcat
for natives call everything of the cat
species "bagh"--he did not change his
small shot cartridges. Three minutes
afterward there was stealthy rustic
in the tangled grass and bushes In
front OF him, and. expecting hare or
n Jungle fowl, he threw his gun for
ward Just as the bushes parted and the
savage head of a huge panther rose
into view about twenty-five yards
away. Utterly staggered b. lowered his
gun again. To fire at panther with
small shot is wise only when you are
anxious to obtain an express passage
to the next world. and before he could
change his cartridges the brute had
seen him and sunk silently back into
the undrTgrowth. B. catching glimpse
of his heavy tawny body gliding later
ally across the beat in the direction of
F-'s station. Spriuging TO his feet and
shouting n hasty word OF warning to
F., which. II afterward appeared. the
latter heard only impertectly, B. re-
placed his hot cartridges with ball and
attempted to follow the panther. But
the undegrowth was thick. and his
progress being necessarily slow. he had
not proceeded more than a few yards
when a shot rang out, quickly followed
by another. and the next second F.s
voice reached him vigorously shouting
for assistance b. H. for heavens
sake look sharp or I'm done for," This
was followed by muffed growls and
snarls. coupled with reiterated. but
fainter shouts for help from F.
Crashing blindly through the under
growth toward the sounds. B. stumbled
almost on his head into the space COM
paratiye open jungle which fronted F.'s
station. As he did so. and vainly tried
TO steady his pulse and hand. H., from
the opposite direction, also burst on
the scene. And the sight they both saw
was sufficiently fearful. F.. on one knee
held the panther by the throat at arms
length with his left hand. while with
his right he was making spasmodie ef-
forts to draw his hunting knife And
such was the terrific power of his des-
perate grip that the panther's tongue
was protruding and It's eyes almost
starting from its head. But. although
F's immense physical strength. still
further increased by the despair which
redoubles ones forces. prevented the
brute from closing and using its teeth,
yet Il was kicking with its hind claws
exactly as a cat does when its stomach
Is tickled. and the bone OF F.'s left
arm was stripped almost bare of the
skin and flesh, which was hanging In
CORY festoons nearly up to the shoul-
der. Sick at the sight. the whole Sene
for the moment swan before BIS Hses.
but recalled to his manlier self by a
piteous entreaty OF poor F., who was
weakening rapidly. "a chance shooting
him b. braced up and ran toward the
scene OF the terrible conflict H. how
ever would have been before him. but
that root caught his foot
as he ran and sent him
sprawllng. The next second b.
had run up close and blown the savage
brute's brains out just as +. fell in a
heap with the dead panther on the top
OF him An impTovised litter and a