Xjc. 14, 1909] 
FOREST AND STREAM 
frstition that if they do so the cow or what- 
aniinal it may be, will dry up. The only 
1 of obtaining sweet milk is to send your 
j pail and have them milk into it direct. We 
le ourselves as comfortable as possible, but 
■as awful. The poor old woman did her 
■ even to offering me half her bed, while 
other half was occupied by herself and child, 
ithis kindness I refused. I sat up all night, 
ing up the fire, and having later dozed off 
sheer weariness came very near burning 
•If. The tail of my coat paid forfeit, and I 
thankful that I had taken a full flask with 
it saved the situation. 
soon as there was a glimmer of daylight 
addled up and went down to the river. The 
1 had stopped, but the water was still pretty 
but I determined I would cross, even if 
nt on alone. We both got over and that 
all. I was the luckier of the two, or per- 
: my mule was the stronger, and I did not 
s wet as he. We crossed two more rivers 
Ithere in the distance we could see Addis- 
!ba and were thankful, and yet we still had 
id long ride before us, but the country was 
rated and I knew that if the worst came to 
'vorst we could leave our own mules and 
fresh ones. The poor brutes were very 
done up and we were forced to unsaddle 
igive them a couple of hours’ rest and a 
•e to pick a bit. 
*' reached Addis-Abbeba about 3 o’clock and 
1 it a straggly town, at 8,000 feet altitude, 
is no streets, but trails, and one or two 
:es spanning the largest creeks or rivers 
that flow through the town. I asked for an 
hotel and was pointed out a building which is 
a club and hotel combined, and here I put up. 
The woman who owned it was a Frenchwoman 
and was most kind, giving me some of her hus¬ 
band s clothes so that I could change, and after 
seeing the mules made comfortable and fed, I 
enjoyed the luxury of a hot bath, clean clothes 
and a dinner, sitting at a table. To say I was 
tired does not describe it. I was utterly worn 
out and slept like a log. I had now no worries 
or troubles. Here I was at my goal. I could 
not call on the British minister until my clothes 
arrived, which were with the caravan which 
came in two days later. They also had had 
just about enough. The mules were done up 
and the men not much better. 
Next day I paid my respects to Sir John Har¬ 
rington, to whom I had a letter, who very kindly 
invited me to the legation to stay while I was 
at Addis. This I gladly availed myself of and 
moved down to his home the next day. Oh, the 
delights of a nice house after a rough trip, of 
clean linen and good servants! People may 
pretend that they do not care for comfort and 
luxuries. I am only sorry for their taste. 
At first the Emperor Menelik would only give 
me permission to buy fifty ponies, but later on 
extended it to one hundred. His argument, I 
believe, was that if he gave permission to any¬ 
one to buy many, the price of horses would in¬ 
crease and his volunteers would have difficulty 
and expense in mounting themselves, which was 
a very sound argument. 
The following day I attended the market, 
which was held in the town in a great open 
space, which, though hilly, was very suitable. 
There was not a great choice of ponies, as it 
was too early in the season, but I soon got to¬ 
gether about twenty-five. It was quite a busi¬ 
ness. In the first place I had a boy with me 
carrying a sack of dollars, for of course they 
would not accept checks, though I dare say now 
the Bank of Abyssinia has a branch at Addis. 
In a few years all this will be changed and they 
will understand what a check is. When I saw 
a pony I liked I had to get hold of the owner 
and make my deal, first looking over the pony, 
ageing him and seeing he had no sore back, and 
above all things carefully examining' his eyes, 
since in this country quite half the horses have 
their eyes affected and a great number are totally 
blind. Then I paid out my dollars, took over 
the pony, watching all the time to see that they 
did not change him for another, and still keep¬ 
ing my eyes open for another suitable one. It 
was very tiring work, and in the midst of it 
the Abyssinian customs officials tried to make 
a fuss and endeavored to make me pay duty. 
This I absolutely refused to do, telling them 
that I had permission direct from the Emperor 
to buy so many, and that I would not be inter¬ 
fered with, and if they wanted me after the 
market, they knew where I was to be found. 
With the help of Sir John and one more day at 
the market I eventually got together 117 horses 
and mules, which I took the precaution of brand¬ 
ing with M on the near side of the neck. 
[to be continued.] 
'anther Reported from Vermont. 
:inington, Vt., Aug. 3 .— Editor Forest and 
:m: On July 28 Paul Deming, of Arling- 
aw a large panther near the Kelley Stand, 
: led, in the town of Sunderland. Mr. 
mg is the town clerk of Arlington and a 
iwhose word may be relied upon implicitly, 
is traveled extensively, has camped in many 
ns of the country, and has seen many 
ters in captivity, so that he is perfectly 
ar with the" varmints.” The incident can 
)st told by Mr. Deming’s own words to me: 
is had been camping near Grant’s Pond 
v town of Stratton,” he said, “and on our 
'I I stopped at Lawler’s hotel at the Kelley 
en route home. After breakfast I went 
:: road for a stroll. Near the North Alders 
which crosses the road about a quarter 
inile from the hotel, I saw a dead hedge- 
longside the road. I took a stick and was 
L > at the carcass when I heard a slight 
' > n the brush a short distance from me. 
ff perfectly quiet and presently a large 
:r bounded into the road not over twenty- 
irds from me. He did not turn to look 
at me and I do not think he saw me. He slunk 
down the road a short distance and then dis¬ 
appeared in the woods. I saw him very plainly. 
He was a very large and powerful looking beast 
and moved along as noiselessly as a house cat.” 
Now, Warden Lozier, of Arlington, and my¬ 
self can corroborate Mr. Deming’s story. On 
July 10 he and I camped in an old deserted lum¬ 
ber camp in this same vicinity. We were patrol- 
ing the mountain streams and camped wherever 
night overtook us. On the morning in question, 
just before dawn, I was startled from my sleep, 
which had been pretty well broken most of the 
night by gnawing hedgehogs, by the cry of a 
panther. I could not believe my own senses at 
first, but I immediately arose and went to an 
open window. The cry was repeated and seem¬ 
ed very near our camp. I aroused Lozier and 
he heard the cry plainly, but it was too dark 
for either of us to see the varmint. I am quite 
familiar with the panther’s “baby cry,” as I 
have heard it in the West many times, but my 
companion confessed he had never heard any¬ 
thing just like it before, although he thought it 
was some species of owl. 
We afterward looked around as soon as it 
was daylight, but could find no signs, owing to 
the dry ground and brushy woods. Not over 
100 yards from this spot is where Mr. Deming 
saw the panther. There are large herds of deer 
in this section and I believe the panther is fol¬ 
lowing and feasting in them. 
Of course, as you well know, this is the puma 
or cougar I am writing about, but no one in 
this country would call it anything but a panther, 
and panther it will always be to us. In a cabinet 
at our State House in Montpelier there is a 
grand mounted specimen of this animal. It was 
killed at Manchester in this county many years 
ago; also one was taken at West Wardsboro 
some time ago, but of late years I have never 
heard or read an authentic account of a panther 
being seen in New England. Where this one 
was seen and heard is the wildest territory of 
Southern Vermont. Besides the many deer in 
that section seven bobcats were caught there 
last winter. There seems to be some especially 
attractive food and shelter for the big cat tribe 
in the wilds about the Kelley Stand district. 
Have you any information of pumas being seen 
in the Adirondacks of late years? 
Harry Chase, County Warden. 
