30 THE PENNSYLVANIA LION OR PANTHER. 



in on the centre. When they reached the point where 

 the kilHng was to be made, they found it crowded 

 witli yelping', growHng, bellowing animals. Then the 

 slaughter began, not ending until the last animal had 

 been slain. A group of Buffaloes broke through the 

 guards at an early stage of the killing, and it is esti- 

 mated that several hundred animals x:sca]icd in this 

 way. The recapitulation is as follows, the count hav- 

 ing been made by Black Jack himself ?.t the close of 

 the' carnage: Forty-one panthers, 109 ^\'olvcs, 113 

 foxes, 11 1 mountain cats, 17 black bears, 1 white bear, 

 2 elk, IDS deer, 111 buffaloes, I! fishers, 1 utter, l:i 

 gluttons, :i beavers and upwards of 500 smaller ani- 

 mals. The percentage of panthers to the entire num- 

 ber killed is an interesting commentary on the early 

 prevalence of these animals. The choicest hides were 

 taken, together with buffalo tongues, and then the 

 heap of carcasses "as tall as the tallest trees," was 

 heaped with rich pine and fired. This created such 

 a stench that the settlers were compelled to vacate 

 their cabins in the vicinity of the fort, three miles 

 away. There is a small mound, which on being dug 

 into is filled with bones, tliat marks the spot of the 

 slaughter, near the head waters of (West) Mahan- 

 tango Creek. Black Jack's unpopularity with the In- 

 dians \vas added to when they learned of this animal 

 drive. The red men, who only killed such animals as 

 they actually neerled for furs and food, and were real 

 conservationists, resented such a wholesale butcherv. 

 The sto) y goes that the wild hunter was ambushed 



