The occupants of a few log cabins in the vicinity of the Bayou Manlatte,
a tributary of the noble Bay of Pensacola, situated in the western part
of the then territory of Florida, had been for some weeks annoyed by the
mysterious disappearance of the cattle and goats, which constituted
almost the only wealth of these rude countrymen; and the belated
herdsman was frequently startled by the terrible half human cry of the
dreaded panther, and the next morning, some one of the squatters would
find himself minus of a number of cloven feet. About this time I
happened into the settlement on a hunting excursion, in company with
another son of Nimrod, and learning the state of affairs, resolved, if
possible, to rid the "clearing" of its pest, and bind new laurels on our
brows. The night before our arrival, a heifer had been killed within a
few rods of the cabin, and the carcass dragged off toward the swamp,
some two miles distant, leaving a broad trail to mark the destroyer's
path; this being pointed out to us, Ned and myself resolved to execute
our enterprise without delay--this was to "beard the lion in his den."
Having carefully charged our rifles and pistols, and seen that our
bowies were as keen as razors, we set out on the trail, which soon
brought us to the edge of the Bayou Manlatte swamp--which covers a
surface of some thousands of acres, being a dense muddy hammock of teti,
bay, magnolia, cane, grape vines, &c. A perpetual twilight reigned
beneath the dense foliage supported by the rank soil, and our hearts
beat a few more pulsations to the minute, as we left the scorching glare
of the noon day sun, and plunged into the gloomy fastnesses of the bear
and alligator; to these latter gentlemen, whose clumsy forms were
sprawling through the mud on every side, we gave no further heed other
than to keep without the range of the deadly sweep of their powerful
tails, with which they bring their unsuspecting prey within reach of
their saw-like jaws; the bears we did not happen to meet, or we should
most assuredly have given them some of the balls designed for
the panthers.
Well, we followed the trail half a mile into the swamp, when on an
elevated spot, we suddenly encountered the half-devoured body of the
unfortunate heifer, apparently just deserted by the captors. We
cautiously advanced a few paces further over a pavement of bones, "clean
scraped and meatless," and entered an open space, when a sight met my
eyes which certainly made me wish myself safe at home, or in fact,
anywhere else but where I was. About twenty-five feet from us we saw,
instead of one, an old she-panther and two cubs nearly grown, while
directly over them, on the blasted and sloping trunk of an immense
gum-tree, crouched the "old he one of all," lashing his sides fiercely
with his tail, and snorting and spitting like an enraged cat, an example
which was imitated by the three below. Here was a dilemma, on the
particularly sharp horns of which we found ourselves most uncomfortably
situated. To retreat would induce an immediate attack, the consequence
of an advance would be ditto, so we stood _en tableaux_, for a brief
second, our guns cocked and aimed, Ned drawing a bead on the dam, while
I did the same on the sire. It seemed madness to fire. We were not long
uncertain as to our course, for the old fellow suddenly bounded from the
trunk upon me, with a deafening roar. I fired as he sprang, and the
report of my piece was re-echoed by that of Ned's. I sprang aside,
dropping my rifle and drawing my long and heavy knife; it was well I did
so, for the mortally-wounded beast alighted on the very spot I had left.
He turned and sprang upon me. I avoided the blow of its powerful paw,
and grappling with him I rolled on the turf, winding my right arm tight
around his neck, and hugging close to his body to avoid his teeth and
claws, while I dealt rapid thrusts with my knife. I was very powerful;
but never was in a situation where I felt more sensibly the need of
exerting all my muscle. The contest was soon decided--my knife passing
through the brute's heart--
"And panting from the dreadful close,
And breathless all, the champion rose."
And it was full time that I should do so, for Ned, having put a ball
through the head of the dam, was now manfully battling with her two
cubs; the poor fellow was sore pressed, streaming with blood from
numberless scratches, and almost in a state of nature, for the sharp
claws of the cubs had literally undressed him by piecemeal. His savage
assailants also, bore upon their bloody hides numerous tokens of his
prowess in wielding his bowie.
Their system of attack seemed to be to spring suddenly upon him,
striking with their paws, and as they did so, in most instances,
simultaneously, it was impossible for him to defend himself, strong and
active as he was; and had no assistance been at hand, they would
undoubtedly have gained the victory. It was a brave sight though, to see
the tall, strong hunter, meeting their attacks undauntedly, standing
with his left arm raised to defend his head and throat, and darting his
knife into their tough bodies as he threw them from him, but to meet the
next moment their renewed efforts for his destruction.
All this I caught at one glance, as I rushed to his rescue. "Ned!"
shouted I, mad and reckless with excitement, "take the one on your
left!" And we threw ourselves upon them. I met my antagonist in his
onward leap, and making a desperate blow at him, my wrist struck his
paw, and the knife flew far from my hand. There was nothing else for me
but to seize him by the loose skin of the neck with both hands, and hold
on like "grim death," keeping him at arm's length, while his paws beat a
tattoo to a double quick time on my breast and body, stripping my
garments into ribbons in a most workmanlike manner, and ornamenting my
sensitive skin with a variety of lines and characters, done in red--a
process which I did not care to prolong, however, beyond a period when I
could soonest put a stop to the operation.
As I was debating how to attain so desirable an end, the remembrance of
the small rifle pistol, in my belt, and which, till now, in the hurry of
the conflict I had forgotten, suddenly flashed upon my mind, and,
disengaging one hand, I drew it forth, cocked it with my thumb, and the
next moment the panther's brains were spattered in my face.
I turned to look for Ned, and found him trying to free himself from the
dead body of the panther, whose teeth were fastened, in their death
grip, to the small remnant of his hunting coat which hung around his
neck; I separated the strip of cloth with my recovered knife, and we
sank panting to the ground, while our hearts went up in thankfulness for
deliverance from so imminent danger to life and limb. After resting
awhile, we washed the blood--our blood--from our bodies, and decorating
them with "what was left," somewhat after the fashion of the Indian who
wears only a "breech clout," we took the scalps of the four panthers,
and started on our homeward march. Our success was speedily known in the
clearing, and in the evening a barbecue was had in oar honor, to
furnish which a relation of the unfortunate heifer met with a fate
scarcely less terrible. This exploit added not little to our reputation
among the hunter folk.