The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-17

were the screams, which by this time were kept up at intervals Of every few minutes, ending in deep growl. I at once concluded that 1t was some wild beast crying-a panther. perhaps. My situation grew more and more perilous. On and on
 the animal came, repeating It's screams and growls-now a most unearthly sound. I realized, on account of the darkness, I
 could not see the animal, and on account
 of the dampness of the leaves I could not
 hear 1t moving. Each time it howled it
 seemed to be about 100 yards nearer to
 me. Then came a shrill scream that
 seemed to jar the very earth. It must
 have been within 100 yards of me. l felt quite sure I would have serious trouble. My hair seemed to rise till I imagined 1t stood on end.
 Bearing in mind the orders, not to fire
 unless on an approaching enemy, dare not shoot. Had I ventured to do 70 the whole camp would have been aroused and placed in line of battle. The penalty for false alarms was a court-martial and se- we're punishment. My only hope in case of an attack by the panther was to fight 1t out with my bayonet as quietly as was in my power, and to make the best of my situation. So fixing my bayonet and not knowing from which direction the attack would be made, I tried as best I could to guard in each direction at the same time. While in this extreme suspense the animal screamed out louder than ever, in very touch of me- My feelings at that particular juncture are simply indescrib- able To be sprung upon suddenly by fe- rocious beast In the darkness, to have his huge jaws crunching my flesh and crack ing my bones, his sharp teeth tearing my t1ala fa hiy1k n Thanks to a kind and merciful Provi- dence my suspense was at last relieved by hearing the same awful sound about 100 yards up the mountain, in the direc- ton of the Federal camp On 1t moved. The panther must have gone across the mountain.
 About twenty minutes elapsed when, just at o'clock the sergeant, with one of the men. was heard comine to relieve
 me, my two hours having expired. Standing in touch of me, they were try ing to locate the place. one of them say ing: This is the post. and he Is not here" Whether they were 1aboring under the supposition that I had deserted my post or had been devoured by the pam ther doesn't matter, for at that moment I called out, ''Haltr'
 They undoubtedly were delighted to hear my voice, and congratulated me most heartily on my having been able to stand firm through the trying ordeal under which I had just passed They had been listening to the growfs and screams of the wild beast from the wigwam, and realizing my situation, knew that he was directly on my path. The lieutenant in command of the guard was selnountaineer of that section and knew the beast to be A panther when first he heard It's screams. Many had been their contectures as to l the attack and the result as they sat helpless to aid me in any way.
 | I was wicked enough ito wish the pan. l tber would wend his way to fhe camp of the enemy and give some of them as great
 a fright as he had given me; and that Is | not improbable.
 passed through a~ the important bat | ties in which Stonewall Jackson's army | was engaged up to the time of General | Lees surrender, but never did the boom- | ing of cannon, or the whizzng of minnie | balls give me such terrible sensations as i those I experienced on that dark, rainy l night in September. 1861. as vidette on | the banks of Green Briar river in Vir- | ginia- JOHN w. DlHON.
 Birmingham, Ala. September g. 1905.