The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1849-11-29

fnlnu as VlVluty as though kneWE the AMI
NAL was now pursuing me. But am no
coward, though to be torn in pieces, and
almost eaten alive by wild beast was
| horribleI
| al calmly unbuttoned my frock, with
the determination TO throw it off before
the beast should approach me, hoping
! thereby to gain advantage of him by the
| time he would lose in tearing it to pieces.
g Another shrek, and 1 tossed the gar
ment behind me in the path. Not more
| than five minutes elapsed before heard a
shrill cry as he came to it. How that
shrek electrified me! | bounded like a
! deer. But in a moment the animal made
another cry, which told me plainly that
| the garment had only cxasperated him to
a fiercer chase.
$50, God!' said I, 'and must die thus?
| can, must live for my wife and chill
dren,' and | ran even faster than | had
done before, and unbuttoning my waist
coat, | dropped it in the path as l pro-
ceeded. The thought of my wife and
children urged me to desperate speed for
| thought more of their unprotecte d state
than the death [ was threatened with, for,
should | die, what would become of them!
life crowded through my brain. The hot
blood coursed through my veins with tor
rents force! The catamount shrieked
louder and louder, and fast as I was run
ming, he was rapidly approaching me-
Nearer and nearer he came, until fancied
| could hear his bounds. At last | came
to the brook which you see yonder, and it
was double the size which it is now, for
it was swollen by recent freshets, and |
longed to cool my fevered brain in it; but
knew that would be as certain death to
me as to die by the claws of the BEAST
With three bounds | gained the opposite
bank, and then | could clearly see light
in my log cabin not hundred rods dis
tant.
"'I had not proceeded but a short dis
tance, before heard the plunge of the cat
amount behind me. leaped with more
than human energy, for it was now life
and death. In moment, the catamount
gave another wild shrek, as though he
was afraid he should lose his prey. At
the same instant, yelled at the top of my
lungs TO my wife. In moment | saw
her approach the door with a light
"'With what vividness that moment
comes back to my mind! The catamount
was not so far from me as | was from the
house. [ dropped my hat, the only thing
could leave TO stay the progress of the
beast. The next moment [ fell PROSTATE
in my own cabin
"Here the old settler paused, and wiped
the big drops from his brow ere he con-
tinued:
"'How long lay when fell, know
nOt b1t Nuban | ,Uoc raStoraI tc,
ness, was lying on a rude couch, and
my wife was bathing my head with cold
water, and my children were gazing anx-
soon as / fell she Immediately shut the
door and barred it, for she knew that |
was pursued; but by whom or what she
knew not, and that as soon as had fallen
and the door closed, fearful spring was
made upon it; but the door was strong
and well barred and withstood the spring
of the beast.
".As soon as fully recovered, l knelt
and offered the most fervent prayer to the
Almighty that ever passed my lips, or
ever will again. My family and myself
shortly retired; but no sleep visited me
that night. In the morning, when my
little son six years old, told me that he
saw the eyes of the colt looking in at the
window in the night. | knew the cata-
mount had been watching to gain admit
tance; but our windows, you will perceive,
are not large enough to permit catamount
to enter.
"'When | looked into the glass next
morning, | was horror struck at my alter
ed appearance. My hair which was the
day before black as midnight, was changed
to the snowy whiteness you now see it;
and although have enjoyed very good
health since, | shall never recover from
the effects of the fright experienced on
being CHASED BY A CATAMoUNT.' '-Bos-
ton Weekly Museum.