a great deal of time in the
woods in the night, away from a fire and noise, knows that an owl
will alight within a few feet of them, and they will not be aware of
the presence of the owl when it approaches them. This noiseless
movement of the owl is said to be from the large amount of down that
grows on the wings of the bird.

As I stated, I have camped in several states west of the Rockies, and
have from childhood until late years almost continually been in the
woods, and the only screech of the panther I ever heard came from the
owl.

My father moved from Washington County, York State, into this county
about a hundred years ago, when northern Pennsylvania was an unbroken
wilderness, and the few settlers who lived in these parts were
compelled to go sixty miles to Jersey Shore to mill. This trip was
made down Pine Creek, and usually with an ox team, and those who made
the trip were obliged to camp out every night while making the trip
for there were no settlers living along the whole route. The road was
merely a trail cut through the woods.

Father often made this trip down Pine Creek to Jersey Shore, camping
out each night. I have often heard him say that he never head any
kind of a noise that he thought came from a panther--and panthers
were plentiful in this section in those days. Father laughed at the
idea of the panther screaming, when he heard people telling of
hearing them.

However, regardless of what my father and other early settlers of
this section, who were not possessed of strong imaginary minds have
told me, as well as my own experience, I have evidence that the
panther does scream and scream terribly, too.

A neighbor of mine, by the name of Mr. Mike Green, a man about fifty
years old, after reading the article which I mentioned at the
beginning, came to me and said that I was away off in regard to the
panther not screaming. He told of two occasions where he had had
adventures with panthers and they screamed fearfully. One of Mr.
Green's adventures happened in Clearfield County, this state, the
other in West Virginia.

Mr. Green stated that he was driving a team, hauling supplies for a
lumber camp, when on two occasions he was out on the road until late
at night with his load of supplies some of which consisted of several
quarters of fresh beef. He heard the panther scream out in the woods
and narrowly escaped the panther by whipping the team and driving
rapidly into camp, the panther following