The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1903-02-20

for rocks or darkness.
The panther kept right after me.
Every scream sounded nearer. If
hadn't had half a mile the start,
the brute would have caught me.
AS it was, the moment 1 jumped
Uncle Jimmy's fence the tiger
screamed not 60 feet behind.
Any other time I wouldn't have
dared to go near Uncle Jimmy's with
out calling, 'Hello!" He had the
fiercest dog in the neighborhood-
dog that would try to drag man
off his horse. But this time that
dog didn't even growl; he was COVER
ing against the wall, shivering and
whining like a frightened puppy.
AS l cleared the fence 1 saw light
shining through the cracks. L made
straight dash for the clapboard
door. And when the latch broke and
the door flew in, went through like
a rock out of sling.
Inside 1 stumbled my toe and tuH-
bled sprawling on the floor. The anid-
ding flew over my head. Uncle Jimmy
afterward told everybody that the
whole side of bacon hit the farther
wall so hard that it left greasy
picture of itself on the logs. Uncle
Jimmy was great joker.
The old man and his wife were
! frightened out of their wits. They
, had heard the screams, and thought
for few moments that the tiger
had broken in on them. They were
just getting ready for him. Uncle
Jimmy was loading his rifle as fast
as he could, and Aunt Polly, his wife,
was trying to light a pine knot at
the fire.
While was scrambling to my feet,
Uncle Jimmy sprang forward,
slammed the door shut and propped
it with a stick of wood, but not be.
fore that dog of his had sneaked in
and crawled under the bed.
Scarcely was the door shut when
the tiger let out another scream,
close by. Uncle Jimmy was running
about the room, dragging his rifle
by the muzzle. He had a bullet
rammed down, and was searching
every shelf in the cabin for box
of caps. Pretty soon the panther
screamed again, behind the cabin
now. Afterward we heard another
scream, farther off.
By this time Uncle Jimmy had
found his caps, and Aunt Polly had
her pine-knot blazing. When they
were both ready, Uncle Jimmy threw
open the door, and after looking
about cautiously, cooked his rifle and
stepped out. / offered to carry the
torch, but 1 wasn't very sorry when
Aunt Polly insisted that she knew
better how to hold it.
Uncle Jimmy tramped about the
yard, with his wife at his heels, hold
ing the pine-knot above her head. If
the tiger was near, the torch would
make his eyes shine, and Uncle Jimmy
would put a bullet right between
them. He was a dead shot.
I stood in the door, rubbing my
back. The man with his gun and the
woman with her torch moved slowly
round the cabin. Once Uncle Jimmy
thought he discovered the tigers
eyes, but before he could take aim
they disappeared. 1t wasn't long be-
fore we heard scream down in the
woods. The beast was going away.
I stayed in the cabin a while; then
Uncle Jimmy took his rifle and es-
corted me and my bacon home.
was afraid to go by myself.
That was the first time the swamp
tiger had been seen or heard on
Chinkapin Ridge; but it wasn't the
last time by any means. Even we
boys were afraid to go far to gather
nuts, and the women and children
hardly dared poke their heads out.
of-doors. The men carried guns, es-
pecially at night. The tiger didn't
show himself in broad daylight, al
though he was seen occasionally at
dusk
Meanwhile he was living on the fat
of the' land. He had Toasted on our
hogs and calves, and he even dragged
down and killed two full-grown cows.
He was giant of his kind, and his
size made him fearless.
We didn't know what became of the
tiger during the daytime, but we sup
posed he must retreat into the
swamp. One day Tim Watson saw
him lying on top of big log in the
woods, asleep in the sunshine. Tim
had his rife, buff instead of blazing
away, he stole off and went for help.
When he got back with several men
and dogs, they caught a glimpse of
the tiger as he jumped off the log
and disappeared. The dogs growled
and turned their hair the wrong way;
but they wouldn't follow the trail.
Trust dog to know what not to
attack!
Things went on from bad to worse
along Chinkapin Ridge. Every morn
ing some animal was missing, and the
half-devoured remains were generally
found. One evening at dusk the tiger
dashed up to Mason's cow-pen,
grabbed roofing pig, and carried
the squealing thing off under its
owners eyes. Three different men
tried to kill the big brute when he
came prowling around their houses
at night, but their shots didn't take
effect; and the belief got abroad that
the panther's skin was too thick and