The Washington herald., 1911-09-03

ment he fired at the panthers head, as nea
as he could see it,
Unfortunately, the beast had carried one, i
not two Of the dogs over the rock with him
and alter that Jake saw only old Nose ThcI
he tainted away again with the pain. an,
when he awoke it was bright day, and, by tn,
sun, 1t appeared to be about ten o'clock il
the morning
Later IN the afternoon he recovered with =
start, en- feeling something tugging and null
ing at his broken leg and causing him fearfu
agony.
Ihis was another panther-no doubt the on,
that Wise had found there when he Jiscov
cred his iather-and it was chewing and
gnaw'hS away at Jake's well-greased bootleg
Know that It could find much better eatina
Just apoVe the boot on Jake'B leg, or else loo
wen MED with venison-which was all gona-
to care to do more than growl
rearing that II he stirred sufficiently tc
again load his rifle the panther womb anT
his existence with one blow of his great
claws, Jake lay perfectly still yet hardly ahIs
his leg 'e"'e pam III
He must have tainted again from this cause
lighting an unequal battle with the panther
few feet Oft P''-'@'
Again he loaded his rifle, and again he
hred, but this time he thought it was the
oog; ana not the panther. that he had shot
Nose howled with pain and fell 10 The
ground, and the panther. evidently much
frightened by the report OF the rifle bounded
of into the underbrush.
This time Jake had sufficient presence OF
nind to reload his rifle at once then, calling
hose TO MN, he attempted to see whether
nc could do anything to relieve the hound 4
pain.
Realizing that old Nose was now his main
uepenuence Jake pointed in the direction o
the tar'away cabin, and said, i'll command
ing voice:
Go home sir. 60 home"
And, weak. lame and bleeding as he was
the faithful old dog gave a bark that seemed
TO signify hls understanding of his master
meaning ami promptly hmped off in the d
rectlon pointed out, the mournful howls that
he gave forth from time to time telling the
wounded hunter that he was taking "A straight
course for the cabin.
But soon other sounds attracted .Jake's at
tenton. and, all alert, he lay and waited the
panther's return, which he knew those sounds
predicted.
Waiting until the animal got so close that
1t appeared TO be preparing for a spring from
the long grass at the edge of the rock ne fired
again, and once more the brut., sprung back
into the bushes, but apparently unhurt
Loading again, he Law and listened and wait.
ed for what to him seemed many hours. unit
in the far distance he heard old Moses howl
ing bay and a shrill whistle which he rccog
nlzed at once as that OF Wilsc. Then his
strength left him, and again he faint ell away
from pain and weakness.
What happened after this we already know
as we have followed the brave boy up the
lonely mountain-slde and have listened TO the
accounts OF the other resCuers.
While all this was being told to the others
Wild Amerine had started a rousIng fire and
had then taken torch and gone below the
rock, where, as he afterwards told them, he
found the hound, hge, dead, in the clutch Of
dead panther, another panther near them
with it's skull crushed in where Wise had
broken his rifle over its head, and, q little
way beyond, poor Yellow so torn and nearly
dead that Wild mercifullv ended his suffer
ings.
Coming back. he proposed that they each
fire off a rifle twice. thus notifying Jake's
wife and the others that the lost had been
found.
After that, Nick Smith and Wise could 60
down to tell the news to Mrs. Bushticd, see
that everything was prepared for Jakes re-
ception, and then return early in the morn
ing with a couple OF Comfortablcs and AK
so that an improvised stretcher could be made
on which to carry Jake home. Abe and Wild
would stay with and care for the wounded
man, who could not well be carried down the
rugged mountain paths at night.
And this is the story Of the brave North
Carolina boy, although Wise, when he told
me about it, seemed to think he had done n
very ordinary thing
In ending his account of that nights expc-
riences, he expressed his true courage better
than / can, in these words:
'Wall, doctor, ! don't jest know as it was
so brave like, but | do know it was mos un-
common lonely an worryin' out thar on the
mounting with no more nor me an pap an
ole Nose; an pap seemin' plumb dead. Nose
mighty nigh as bad, an painters thick as
bummely-bees in July. But right thar was
where belonged, an right thar Id a stayed
fer a week, ef need bal