Year: 1879

screech sent a cold chill down my back
The beast was coming right up to me


1t was an awful place to run in-all logs
and roots. Forest fires had killed the old
pine growth, and the trees had fallen across
each other, every way.


Ii was getting dusk, too In one of my
tumbles came near going headforemost
into great hollow log, and lay for an in
slant breathless


But a crashing in the bushes not far be-
hind told me that my relentless pursuer
was close at hand. 1t was no time for
picking out nice hiding places The hole
in the log seemed to offer a refuge, and
threw in my gun, and then backed into it
myself, feet first.


/ kept backing till was as far rs could
get, and there lay and painted | had got
back ten or twelve feet.


For some minutes, | could hear nothing
of the panther Then heard him moving
about with soft, catlike steps. A moment
after, the hole at the of the log darkened,
and | caught glimpse of two fiery orbs,
that cleaned with pale flash.
| In my frantic haste, had thrust my gun
into the log muzzle foremost. Ii was use
less. could not turn it in there; yet |
held the butt ready to thrust with.
/ The creature, however, did not attempt
to crawl in After an eager look, the eyes
disappeared; and a little after, | heard the
. beast at the other end.


| Then heard him smelling along the out
side of the log. When he got his nose just
off against where lay inside, the animal
gave vent to quick growi. and began to
dig.


1t made me shiver to hear him put his
nails into that log. Iexpected nothing but
he would have it open and claw me out.


But suppose the outside of the log was
tolerably sound and tough; for after dig
ging like a fury for a few seconds, he
stopped, and then | saw the pale gleam of
eyes at the hole again.


| halloed and yelled at him. But the
eyes continued to regard me steadily, and
they seemed to grow larger and larger there
in the dark


Then it went back to the other end, and
pretty soon began TO dig once more. IcOuld
hear the splinters tear of. How long it
would take the creature to get through the
log, | could only guess, but | got out my
knife and opened it.


The animal kept digging at the log for a
long time, first at one end and then at the
other, but never once tried to crawl in. Ii
was lucky for me that this was a tolerably
sound log.


Then he changed his tactics. He left off
tearing at the log, and | rather thought
he had gone away. But as it was very
dark, | concluded to stay where | was till
daylight.


1t was not a very uncomfortable position.
But there were plenty of great black ants
that kept running over me, and now and
then got bite. sharp as a needle. My
fright wore away, and being very much ex-
hausted with my run, | fell asleep several
times. But it was tedious night at best.


After it was light, | determined to ven
ture out. But first thought it would be
well TO try an experiment.


So put my cap on the butt of the gun
and stuck that out, and moved it around
little. | was just going to draw it back,
when, pOulcC, came the creature and
grabbed off the cap, its ugly claws scratch
ing on the gun butt.


That made my heart jump. The sly
brute had been lying in wait all the while,
watching for me. lie played around for
few minutes; but after that heard nothing
more of him for the day.


Yet | dared not come ont, and | passed
some hungry hours. | had already been
twenty-four hours without mouthful of
food.


Just at night thrust out my cap again.


The animal did not spring at it; yet |
was still afraid to crawl forth after the ex
ample | had had of its slyness.


The night that followed was, without
any exception, the most uncomfortable
twelve hours | ever passed. | was faint
with hunger and from lying so long stretch
ed out, it seemed as if ! was coming in two
in the middle | ached all over, and was
in fever from thirst.


Towards morning it began to rain. |
reached my hand out, and sucked off the I
drops that fell on it. As soon as it had /
grown fairly light, poked out my head and .
took quick glance right and left Not
seeing anything of the panther, | crawled
out and tried to jump up as quickly as |
could, for | was still afraid that the animal
might spring upon me from behind But
was so stiff and cramped that it was some
moments before l could get up straight.


| then started down stream for home, and
went as fast as could, for was afraid that
the animal might still be hanging around,
at no great distance.


The folks said was a comical, not to say
pitiful, object, when reached home. bare
headed, covered with wood stains, and my
clothes torn to strings


l did not go up there beaver-hunting
again that fall.