Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-04-26
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 VletoTs Life.

A couple of hunters on the border
Of the Florida Everglades were sur
prised to hear the Wild Snorts and
whistles of a buck in fight, mingled
with the plalntlve bleats OF q doe in
distress-a combination OF sounds that
was unaccountable. The men crept
cautiously up. and In FIVE minutes
reached the edge Of al open glade.
In the center crouched q doe, wild
with terror. BY her side was a fawn
only a few hours old, still too weak
to follow It's mother, while the old
buck, with bristling hair, and antlers
lowered, stood by, snortlng in rage and
defiance. His eyes, green with rage,
followed some object moving In the
palmetto scrub on the border Of the
glade.
Looking carefully, the hunters saw
n young panther passing backward
and forward in an effort to turn the
flank Of the defense and get at the
fawn. A wiser beast would have aban-
doned the attack rs soon as such a
defender went on guard, but this
panther was evidently in the full flush
of his first strength, and without ex-
perlence of the prowess Of an old buck
at bay.
Forward and back he crawled, spit
ting and snarllng, only to find the
buck always between him and the doe.
At last he crouched for the spring.
The buck, snorting grizzly, braced all
his muscles for the coming crash he
appreciated his danger, but dared the
worst. The doe whimpered and closed
her eyes, but did not desert her fawn.
The panther rose In the air 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 a dozen
feet away. Then he lowered his head
and plunged at the panther.
There was a confusion Of flying dirt
and grass, and again the deer sprang
away. There were now deep cuts on
his head and neck, and his antlers were
splashed with red.
The panther now tried to creep
away, bat 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
stiffened into a 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
Ia theft power. His proud crest fell
and he lost all the swelling part Of thu
victory ; but still he showed no inten
ton Of deserving the doe, but moved
on and stood beside her. She crouched
down again with the fawn.
The hunters walked owe quietly and
examined the panther. He was very
badly cut up. Both shoulders were
broken, and the antlers had passed re
peatedly through his body. During the
examination the buck stood quietly In
plain view, and no gladiator s~alutlne
Caesar and conscious Of being about tt
die ever showed more dignity.
Without a word the hunters walked
off the field and left the old knight
alone in his glory. Had he not shown
knightly Qualities-the chivalry tina
protects the weak, the courage
that braves all odds in q good cause
and finally a digniied submission t.
what seemed the inevitable?