“. . . up Big Pine Creek lived a family consisting of a man and three females. The house stood on a flat lying between the river and the rocky bluff which rose to a height of forty or fifty feet. In the month of January the man was absent teaching school and no one was left at home but the women. On the morning of a blustering day in the early part of the month, as one of the women was going to the river for a pail of water, she heard a scream proceeding from the side of the hill which sounded like the voice of a woman in distress. She returned into the house and told the others that she thought there was a woman on the hill in trouble. They all went to the door to ascertain the source of the cries when they saw moving toward them an animal which they took at first for a dog. When it approached within fifty yards they discovered to their horror that it was a panther. They retreated into the house and closed the doors. Three geese which belonged to the family were on the ice of the river. The panther discovered them and having captured one, returned with it to his den among the rocks. After he had been gone some time, they went out together and procured wood and water enough to supply them until the next day.
The following morning at about the same hour the panther returned, uttering the same terrific cries, and carried away another of the geese. On the third morning he again made his appearance and took the remaining goose. He had now become wonted to the vicinity and the terrified women were at a loss what they could do. Their nearest neighbors were distant two miles in one direction and three in the other, and any attempt to procure succor from that source would expose them to an attack from the animal which was prowling near.
In order to prevent the panther from entering by the chimney they covered it over with boards taken from the floor and kept up a fire all night. The next morning when the too familiar cries of their besieger were heard, they turned out the dog. The panther closed in on him, drove him against the door, and after a short struggle killed and carried him off.
The morning following, Rice Hamlin, who lived about three miles distant and who had been engaged to call on them once a week to supply them with firewood and render any necessary assistance, paid them his customary visit. When he knocked at the door they demanded who it was that desired admittance. Upon learning who was at the door they opened it at once and informed him of the visits of their unwelcome neighbor. He entered, and they cleared the house of smoke, which had become suffocating. As he stepped to the door to see if the panther was near, Hamlin heard his scream. He immediately started in pursuit, accompanied by his dog. As they came up, the panther jumped upon a rock about twenty-five feet high. Hamlin did not discover him at first, but kept up a search, supposing him to be up a tree.
The dog saw the panther, but being unable to follow, kept running around in an uneasy manner. Hamlin at length happened to look up the rocks and his eyes met those of the panther, just as the latter was about to make a spring upon him. Instantly bringing up his gun, he fired with unerring aim and the animal came tumbling heavily to the ground at Hamlin’s feet. The ball penetrated its forehead. It was a very large one, weighing about two hundred pounds.” (Tome 1854: 15-17)
