Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-03-29
A BOYS EXPERIENCE.


N. u" said b. WI Nelson, . got lost in the
woods one day while taking home a deer
4 that had fallen prize to me in curious
way, and before found myself had about
as exciting an experience AZ ever any boy
had IN the woods.
"In those dayS the southern part OF Allie
gany county waA pretty much all wilder
ness Bear and deer were still numerous
in the woods, and the panther and wolf had
yet some foothold
cone day, along toward the middle Of
March, my father sent me to our sugar
bush to clean out the sap troughs and get
the buckets together preparatory 10 the sea-
sons sugar making. / seized this opper-
tunity TO do little deer hunting. SO |
/ sneaked fathers old gun and took it along
with me.
"There had been fresh fall OF snow over
night. The sugar bush was only mile
from home, and ! got through my task
there in an hour or two. Then 1 started on
the hunt for deer.
Il travelled a mile or more through the
thick growth, and then bore off to my right
in the direction, as | supposed, of small
laurel swamp that knew. l had gone half
mile when suddenly out OF clump Of
4
three deer. just ON the other side OF the
clump of bushes stood two second-growth
pine trees, their stems not more than a
foot apart.
81 suppose it was the great fright that my
sudden coming upon them gave them that
ratified one OF the deer so that it sprang
forward directly toward those two trees
and attempted to pass between them. The
/ fn.1 and Cnlxf The door :
head and neck entered it.
Finding that it could go no further, the
deer, which was yearling doe, made a
frantic effort to back out of the trap, an
effort SO frantic that she broke her neck,
which killed her instantly.
"The sudden and unexpected jumping
I up of the deer in front OF me frightened me
| so that forgot all about my gun, and when
| | awoke to the situation there was no need
OF my having the gun, for two of the deer
were mile away by that time, and the third
one was dead between the two pine trees.
after ] got over my excitement pulled
the dead deer from between the trees and
started to drag it home.
81 had dragged the deer along for half
an hour or more, when ! was surprised to
come upon the trail of some one who was
travelling through those woods, either drag
gng deer, too, or something else over the
snow.
.ssAnd he's got his dog with him. said |,
noticing the tracks in the snow following
! the trail.
! 81 made up my mind that | was bearing
a little too much to the west to make home
| the shortest way, and | took straight
course away from the trail of the man and
/ the dog. ] travelled and travelled, and be-
gan to think / must be pretty near home,
when | came to another trail of man-drag-
ging something in the snow, and the tracks
| OF a dog, as | thought, accompanying IT.
"Then it struck me with startling force
that ] had been simply walking in circle
and was doubling on my course. | was
lost ir the woods. But that didn't account
for the dog.
For the first time turned and looked
back There, not two rods behind me,
great, gaunt, tawny beast, its eyes glaring
was croucling in the snow. | needed no
one to tell me what it was | was not only
lost in the woods, but a hungry panther, at
tracted by the scent of the dead deer, was
on my trail
"For moment stood staring at the
panther, unable to move Then my first i'm
pulse was to abandon the deer and flee. The
| PANTHER crept slowly forward. | nerved
myself and resolved not to surrender the
deer unless had to.
MY gun had charge of pigeon shot in
it. The folly of trying to kill a panther with
pigeon shot never occurred to me. l aimed
at the panther and fired
"The panther yelled, sprang for tree
near by, and climbed nearly to the top.
| Without delay, and without any regard to
direction, | started on with my deer as fast
as l could GO On one side of me there was
good growth OF timber and | skirted that.
| had gone but hundred yards when the
panther came leaping along from tree to
tree, until he was in a tree just behind me.
81 had no more ammunition for my gun,
and / stopped and uttered as terrific a
yell at the panther as / could find lungs for.
The persistent beast leaped back a tree or
two, and | hurried on with my deer. But
the moment | started, the panther resumed
the chase.
"When he got even with me in a tree /
yelled again. rhe panther did not retreat
this time, and began to make up my mind
that it was a little doubtful if got to Nell
son farm with my deer, or if got there at
all. when ] heard shout come from the
woods ahead OF me.
Il yelled again, and the answering shout
was so near this time that the man who
made it came into sight not more than two
minutes behind it. The man was hunter
named George Parker. The panther
climbed higher up in the tree when Parker
appeared, but made no show of retreating.
Parker was loaded for panther, and his load
went through that ones heart at the first
fire.
Il was so glad to see the beast tumble
to the ground and give its last kick that
when Parker told me | was four miles from
home and steadily travelling further away
1t didn't dampen my spirits bit. Parker
took the panther's scalp and helped me
nome with my deer.
81 remember that | drew near to home
with more fear and apprehension than
had felt even in the face OF the pursuing
panther for my father was a man Of few
words, but of quick and strenuous action in
matters OF home discipline. but either the