THE VIRGINIA ENTERPRISE — MAY 18, 1906
ATTACKED BY BEAST THOUGHT TO BE DEAD ◇ Saved by Faithful Horse ◇ Monster Catamount Is Lassoed and Dragged Half a Mile—Shows Fight When Captor Tries to Cut Its Throat
Medora, N. D.—John Hinkins, cowboy, is in the hospital at the “Lazy L” ranch, 14 miles east of Sentinel Butte, in a badly used-up condition as a result of a strenuous encounter with a catamount. His face is badly clawed and across his chest is a deep gash made by the sharp nail’s of the animal. While his wounds are of a serious nature, it is expected that he will recover.
Hinkins had been sent to look up a remuda of horses that were needed for use in the spring roundup. He located their range near the Little Missouri, but for some time was unable to come up with the band, which seemed to be unusually wild. He followed them all of one day, and finally succeeded in rounding them up in a coulee a short distance from the river. Here he decided to camp for the night, intending to start the horses ranchward in the morning. Hinkins was aroused during the night by the wild neighing of the animals and started to investigate. He found the horses in a wild panic, the cause of which he soon discovered when he came upon the dead body of a young stallion on which crouched a large panther. Hinkins emptied his revolver at the animal, but if he succeeded in hitting it the bullets made no other impression than to make it snarl angrily and retreat slowly.
