Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1880 — A Camp Incident. [ARTICLE]

A Camp Incident.

Chester Ford, his brother-in-law, Mr. Bay, aad his sisters Ella, Basie and Mrs Ray have been camping out daring the week in the Big river woods, shoot seven miles from town, op the river, and while toe gentleman hunt and fish the ladies attend to camp duties. Wednesday monitor early, while they yet reposed in their beds, they heard, not tar distant, toe Mealing of a fawn aad a rustling of bushes Mr. Ford dressed himself as quickly as possible and, taking his gun, which, as bad lock would hove it, had bat oae charge, started in the direction of the noise u the brush. He had nit proceeded for when he saw a doe and a fawn by her side coming, in a small trot, from an opposite direction and going also toward toe distressed fawn ia the bosh, bat Bering him, turned aad started to ran in another direction. In a moment after, right from the identical spot towards which Mr. Ford was going, he saw the large head and neck of a panther rise up and look around, apparently to ascertain the cause of his further expected capture taming so suddenly aad starting to ran. As quick as thought almost, and with presence of mind, Mr. Ford had a bead on him and fired, wounding the animal severely. The bullet struck the panther near toe base of the neck, and diagonally passed through the back of the left shoulder. Not being certain that he bad given him a death snot Mr. Ford called for assistance, and the first to reach him with a gun was Miss Ella, and while the panther was about to get away she sent a second bullet crashing through it vitals, killing the animal instantly. The fawn which the panther held, so tort by its cries of agony it might allure the dam and the other fawn, that they too might fall victims to its voracity, becoming released after the first shot started off down the hill, seemingly without being injured by Its captor's sharp claws or carnivorous fangs, and was soon out of sight Mr. Ford brought the carcass of his panthership to town. It measured six feet from tip to tip. —Mendoeind (OmL) Beacon.