Murlock is a solitary pioneer who lives in an isolated, overgrown cabin deep in the Ohio wilderness. Though only about fifty years old, he appears seventy, his hair white and his face deeply wrinkled. He earns his living by selling animal skins and exists in a perpetual state of quiet sorrow, harboring a heavy past tied to the boarded window of his home.

Murlock's Wife is a willing and lighthearted partner in their pioneer endeavor. She shares the dangers and daily struggles of frontier life with honest devotion. When Murlock leaves to hunt, she contracts a sudden, severe fever that plunges her into a deep delirium, initiating the central crisis of the story.

The Panther is a large, opportunistic predator roaming the great forest. It prowls the wilderness surrounding Murlock's isolated cabin, representing the encroaching dangers of the untamed natural world. The creature acts on instinct, taking advantage of vulnerable humans living far from civilization.

The Narrator is the individual relaying the tragic history of Murlock and his cabin. As a boy, he threw a stone at the supposedly haunted structure before running away in fear. He is now the sole keeper of the true story regarding Murlock's isolation and the boarded window.

The Narrator's Grandfather is a former contemporary of Murlock in the early frontier settlement. He holds the unique distinction of knowing the secret behind Murlock's mysterious, reclusive life, eventually passing this tale down to his grandson.