Show DAVY CROCKET AND THE PANTHER A History Story BY KATES STEPHENS When Davy Crocket was on his way to San Antonio to fight for the independence inde-pendence of Texas this In the year 16onc night found him on the banks of the Navasola river and his hors broken with fatigue What happened at this point well let Davy tell Near the margin of the river a large tree had been blown down and I thought of making my lair In its top While beating about the branches I heard a low i growl am much as to say Stranger these apartments are already taken Looking to see what sort of a bedfellow I was likely to have 1 1 discovered dis-covered an enormous Mexican i cougar some live pate away Rays of light darted from his large eyes One glance satisfied me there waf no time to be lost J tired The ball 1 struck him on the forehead and glanced off doing little except infuriate him I to sprang at me I Jumped aside and hit him with time barrel of my rltle He made at me again and I drew my hauling knife for I knew we must come lo close quarters He seized my left arm and began to tear the flesh when I thrust my knife Into his side Ho let go Smarting with his wounds he came al me again and he pressed so close Ihat In slepplng backward my foot caught In a vine 1 fell and he was on me like a nighlhawk on a Junebug He seized my right thigh and since the hinder part of his body was toward niy face I grabbed his tall with my left band With my right I stuck my knife In his side and summoned all my strength to hurl him down the bank of the river He resisted At last I worked him to the very edge and ho lost his balance He fell but he dragged me with him Fortunately at the bottom of the bank I found myself uppermost I aimed a desperate blow at his I neck He struggled a few moments and then his loosened strength told me I was saved II I returned 1 to the tree top and made myself as comfortable a bed as a weary man need ask for Next morning fifty Comanchcs joined me and some of the warriors dlscoveied the body of the cougar and I began skinning it The chief noticed how many slabs were about t it and when I told him of my struggle said Rrave hunter brave man and wished to adopt me Into hla tribe which honor I declined |