DEAD SHOT JIM.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2932, 30 April 1891, Page 4

DEAD SHOT JIM.

They ualled him "Dead-Shot Jiui."' Leaning on his rifle, his bright dagger glistening in his belt, lie told his story of an encounter with a panther: '■My two dogs hud treed the animal on the other side of n deep gulch which I would have to cross on a shaky fallen tree to reach him. I vrorlced my Way to the fallen tree and tried to cross it. I went very slowly, as the log was quite slipperly. jiy de<rs had ceased their noise when T first came in view, but just as I was hidf way across the bridge they began to bark more fiercely than ever. I thought that perhaps the animal had seen mo and was about to jump out of the tree and make his escape. I stopped in my dangerous walk, and, steadying myself looked up into the tree. Great Scott! I had seen a great many panthers before and had killed a few, but the one I saw looking at ran from the branches of the oak was larger and fiercer than any I had ever seen or heard tell about. Ho lay crouched liking n. branch about midway to the top of tlio oak and glared at me with great eyes that gleamed like balls of (ire. From the moment he first beheld

me ho paid not the slightest attention to the dogs, but kept his eyes riveted on me, uttering deep, low growls, and swayiug his long tail to and fro. I kncw.thiit T lw.<l iio time to lose, but must act quickly as the varmint was preparing to spring at me. Bracing myself for the shot a.s best I could on thu slippery tree, I raised the rifle to my shoulder and aimed for the centre of the brute's bead. Just as T pressed the trigger a piece of rotten bark that I was standing on gave way and I slipped, at the moment when the riHo vomited its load of tire and lead. In saving myself from falling the era pty ymi slipped from my grasp to the rocks below, and I would have followed it had I not luckily fallen astraddle of the tree. I drew myliuntiug knife from my belt, and had no sooner done so than the panther give a shriek of mingled pain and rage, and the next moment bounded from his perch and landed on the ground within three feet of one end of the log on which T sat. The ball from my riHo had made a slight wound in the brute's head, the blood from which van into bis eyes, making him look terrible in his maddened fury. His eyes were fastened on mo, andl know that his next spriug would briii£ him witbiu a foot or two of where I sat. My faithful dogs wore by this time at the rear of the infuriated bnast and before Lo could leap upon me they attacked him boldly. He turnedround with a flash and with a yell of defiance struck one of the such a blow with his powerful claws that knocked the poor pup dead in the river below. The other dog had n-ot a grip on one of the panther's hinof legs and held on gamely. The next moment the dog and panther were rolling on th<3 ground in a struggle for the mastery. The huge boast threw up clouds of earth and dead loaves with his sharp claws, and for a time the combatants were lost to view in the

dust. The struggle soon ceased, and through the fulling leaves I could seo the writhing dog between the jaws of the panther. The jaws came togutiter and I could hear the crushing nf bones, and in another moment the limp body of (he dog was thrown on the ground. The panther was now thoroughly enrage i. Giving his heud a shake to free hiseyus from tho blood and did, he gave ti ydl that nearly froze my blood, aud crouched for n spring. I gnispfil my knife firmly in my rlirht hand, and steadying myself with the left, awaited tho shock. It wiinn. The long, lithe body Hashed through the air, ihenoxtmommitl was sit! ing fane to fa op with the infuriated beast. Loaning forward I plunged the knit'o once, twice into the animal's nock. The hot blood spurted into my face I felt the breath of tho panther on my oheek, and then the powerful paws, armed with long sharp nails, rose in the air and then descended on my chest. I felt tho sharp claws burning through my flesh. The knit'o fell from my weakened grasp and bounded on tin; rocks below. I felt my brain whirling. I made a desperate grab at the panther before me, and, locked in a close emhraue, we ivllul off tl' , log uaO. fell together on

on thf; rocks bolow. The sun was far down tho horizon whon I recovered consciousness. \ was nof, vory seriously hurt, for in the full I lnnded on the panther which saved mo fram hiiving my lionos broken The huge beast lay dead on tho rocks beside mo. My knife hud Inuchod his heart, and no doubt he was deiid before he struck the bottom."