Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-03-06


paws, and play all the antics Of a cat,
for moment, and then, be Iashing it
self with It's tail growing and scratch
'ug the earth, il would attempt the
manifestations ofanger TINT rendered
Its parent so terrific
1A!i thi, time Brave stood firm and
nneauntcd his short tail erect, his 10
.dy hrawu backward on its launches,
aad biz eyes following the movements
OF both dam ard cub. 4; every g;m
hoI played by the later, L approlghgd
higher tn dog, The gfowiin8 Of the
thrcc becoming more horrlI at each
mDmcnt util thc younger beast, over
Icjping its intended bound, fell direct
~ bcrole yla mastff. There was a
momentsot fearful cries and struggles,
bat they trifrd almo.ta5 soon as com
m4nred, by III. eub appearing in the
air, hurled from the jaws OF Brave
with violence that sent it against "A
tree so lorcibly as to render Il com
picieiy seHselcss.
Elizabeth witnessed the short sirug
gle, aud her blood was warming with
the triumph oflhe dog, VIXEN SIZE saw
the form Of tlse old panther IN the air,
spinging twenty feet from HE branch
0ithe beecIlto the back OF the mastiif.
No words of ours can describe the fury
OF the conflict that followed. 1t was "a
confused struggle on the dried leaves,
accQmDanieRby loud and terrible cries,
baSSsay0AyIs Miss Temple con-
tinued on herErees, bending over the
form Of Louisa, her eyes fixed on the
animals, with interest SO horrid, and
yet so intense, that she almost forgot
her own stake in the result. So rapid
and 50 vigorous were the honnds ofthe
inhabitans ofthc forest, that its active
frame seemed constantly in the air,
while the dog nobly faced his Zoe at
each successive leap. When the
panther lighted on the shoulders OF the
mastlff, which was its constant aim,
old Brave, though torn with her talons,
and stained with his own blood. that
already flowed from il dozen wounds,
would shake off his furious foe
like a feather, and rearing on bis hind
legs rus ITO the. fray again, with his
jaws Offended, anda dauntless eye.
But agei and his pampered life, great
~ disqualified the noble mastltf for such
a struggle. Inevery thing but cour-
rage, he was only the vestings ofwhat
he had once been. A higher bound
than ever raised the wary and furious
beast far beyond the dog, who was
making a desperate but frultless dash at
her, from which she aliehted in IA
vorable position on tsle back of her aged
foe. For single moment only, could
the panther remain there, the great
strength of the dog returning with a
convuIsiye effort. But Elizabeth saw,
as Brave fastened his teeth in the side
of his enemy, that the collar of brass
around his neck, which had been gilt
tcring throughout the fray, was OF the
color of blood. and directly that his
frame was sinking to the earth, where
it soon lay PROSTATE and helpless. Sc
vcralmighty efforts of the cat to extri-
cate herself from the jaws OF the dog
followed, but they were truitless, until
the mastiff turned on his back, his lips
collapsed, and his teeth loosened, when
the short commissions and stiffness that
succeeded, announced the death Of
poor Brave.
Elizabeth now lay wholly at the mer-
cy of the beast. There is said to be
something in the front of the image of
the Maker, that daunts the hearts OF the
inferior beings of his creation; and it
would seem that some such power In the
present instance suspended the threaten
ed blow. The eyes of the monster and
the kneeling maiden met, for an instant,
when the former stopped to examine her
fallen foe, next to scent her luckless cub.
From the latter examination, it turned
however, with its eyes apparently emit
ting flashes of fire, its tail lashing its
sides luriously, and its claws projecting
for inches from its broad feet.
Miss Tembe did not or could not
move. Her hands were clasped in the
attitude of prayer, but her eyes were
still drawn to her terrible enemy; her
cheeks were blanched to the whiteness
of marble, and her lips we're slightly sep
Grated with horror The moment seem
ed now to have arrived for the fatal ter
mnatiOn, and the beautiful figure of
Elizabeth showing meekly to the stroke,
when a rustling of leaves from behind
seemed rather 10 mock the organs, than
to meet the ear.