A GIRL'S FIGHT WITH A PANTHER.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 7265, 13 October 1891, Page 4

A GIRL'S FIGHT WITH A PANTHER.

A thrilling story has boon told of an adventure which recently bofol the daughter of a leading member of a remote settlement in Colorado. The young lady is a devoted ornithologist, and 8he had captured au englet from the nesb in the top of a tall oak, noar the spot known as Quart y <" reek, a long ledge-crowned lidgo, distant half a inilo from her homo. On hnr return from the trip to the oyno she dotei mined to cioss tho crest of tho ridge and descend tho crags instead of miking a circuit as sho had done in tho asconding. The ledge docs net aveiage more than 40ft in height, but was so steep' as to bo almost iinp issable. >ho had discovered two places, however, where sho could mako tho descent, nnd staitrul down I he perilous route. Thoie was one place en route wheie she must drop fiom tho fdge of one rock to tho top of another Gfb below. Strapping the eaglet to her shoulders, she made her way skilfully and safely, and had just dropped fiom tho overhanging ledge of one ' Btep ' to the landing beneath when tv plaintive, half-humau cry reached her eais, seeming to come from tho base of the crag beneath. A great branching oak, with limbs shadowing tho jagged rocks and almost touching them, had grown up from below. She peeped thiough the foliage, not daring to make the slightest noise, and almost feariug to breathe, She could seo nothing. The prolonged moaning caterwaul was that of a young panther. The fair hunter had no weapon with her except) a btuall j knife and a pocket revolver — a mero toy — and with panthers sho quickly decided that the knife was equally as good a dofencc as tho icvolver. v^ho cast her eyes wistfully into the limbs above and then down over tho precipico towaid the jagged rocks below. \\ hilo bending over thus tho shadows of some flying thing seemed to puss over her ; there was mi ominous lattlo of loosened stones above and a rustling shock among the uj>pei branches of tho tree, 'i hen on tho instant another shrill scream, which now seemed to come up triumphantly from the foob of tho ledge, nnd was auswered by a snailing ciy from the tree top. The gill knew exactly what had happened, and crouched quite limp and faint from fright upon tho shelf of tho rock For u few moments sho dared not look upward. Then another snail and ripp ng of the bark drew her eyes iuesi'sbibly. At the sight which met her gaze she shiank and cowered closer to the ledge from which she had just before- diopped. The old panther was •heie, tho mother ot the young one a.t the base of the ledge. Swaying to and ■ro, she clung to ti branch and »lu cd tiem-ly at tho intruder, her white tangs gleaming as the red lips quivered above them. The long, lithe, brown body lay along the limb as the creatuie prepaicd for a downward leap. For some minutes the boast kept her threatening attitudo At length, awed or puzzled by tho steady eyes of the girl, she turned as if to go up tho ledge Bub just thon the yearning cry of tho young ouo canio up from below, and with a soring tho mothor leaped to tho stony platform beside tho girl With an involuntary cry of honor tho mountaineei's daughter kicked with her heavy shoes full inSo the panther's f.co with such force as to push her over the edge, Buo even then, whirling about, tho animal ciught her dress and diew the girl afier it. As she slid off, she caught hold of the branch of the tree with one hand. The other hand, with the knifo in ib, struck out for the assa'lant, and by good fortune hit tho creature's eye. Whether the sockob was pierced and the brain stabbed, or whether, blinded with pain, the fall was awkwardly made and broko the animal's back, could not be told, bub, howling with anger, she loosed her hold and fell down the ledges and lay 50ft below — dead, The panthci's carcase was brought home in triumph on tho following day by the young la<Vs father.