Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1918-04-27
in DUEL TO DEATH
Brave Old Buck Proved Himself
True Knight.
Exhibition Of Woodland Chivalry That
Impressed Hunters in the Florida
Everglades So Much They
Spared the Victor's Life.

A couple Of hunters on the border
Of the Florida Everglades were sur
priSed TO hear the wild snorts and
whistles of hack in fight. mingled
with The plaintive beats of a doe In
diStreSS--a combination of sounds thar
was unaccountable The men crept
cautiously up, and In five minutes
reached The edge Of an o"an glade.
In the center crouch doe wild
with terror BY her sir as a fawn
only few hours old, sun TOO weak
to follow its mother, while the old
buck. with bristing hair. and antiers
lowered, stood by. Snorting in rage and
defiance. His eyes, green with rage,
followed some object moving in the
palmetto scrub on the border of the
glade.
Aooking carefully. the hunters saw
young panther passing backward
and onward in an effort to turn the
flank Of the defense and get at the
faWn. \ wiser beast would have aban-
doned the attack RS soon as such n
defender went on guard but this
panther was evidently In the full flush
of his first strength, ana without ex-
perience OF the proweSs OF an old buck
at bay
Forward and hack he crawled spit
ting and suaring. only to find the
buck always between him and the doe
Al last he crouched for the spring.
The buck, snorting grimly, hraced all
his muscles for the coming crash: he
appreciated his danger. hut dared the
worst The doe whimpered and closed
her eyes. but did not desert her fawn.
The panther rose In the mir and
came down within ten feet Of the buck.
Then the buck went into the air, and
falling with his feet together on the
struggling cat, seemed to stab him
through and through. Immediately the
buck rose again and landed dozen
feet away. Then he lowered his heat
and plunged at the panther
There was a confusion of flying dirt
ana grass. and again the deer sprang
away There were now deep cuts on
his head and neck ana his antlers were
splashed with red.
The panther now tried to creep
away, but again the buck leaped, stab
bed with his feet together and sprang
away The cat now lay gasping, while
the buck watched him with his hair
stiifened into Il name and eyes that
nearly bulged from his head. Then the
hunters walked forward.
When the buck saw them he must
have realized that he was completely
IN their power. His proud crest fell,
and he lost all the swelling part Of the
victory: but still he showed no inten-
ton Of deserving the doe. but moved
OF and stood beside her. She crouched
down again with the fawn
The hunters walked over quietly and
examined the panther. He WAS very
badly cut up. Both shoulders were
broken. and the antlerS had passed re-
peatcdly through hts body, During the
examination the buck stood quietly in
plain view and no gladiator shutting
Caesar and conscious Of being about to
die ever showed more dignity.
Without word the hunters walked
Off the field and left the old knight
alone in his glory Had he not shown
knghtly qualities-the chlvalry thar
protects the weak the courage
that braves all odds in u good cause
aud inhlly II dignfed submission to
what seemed the inevitable?