The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-01-28


again, weak and faint, while The perapira.
ton stood, in great drops, upon her brow
Suddenly the beast gave wilder yell; and.
as she applied her eyes 10 the crevice, the
smell OF burning wood was more perceptibie.
She mounted upon the bed. and, crawling
up the logs, feeted over. The panther was
still ot its bloody, ,sickening work-its snake.
like form,. undulating with its motions, and
its skin rejecting the light, like buruished
!. copper.
But, what filed her with the greatest hor.
ror, was circumstance which had occurred
meantime; and the alternative now was pre-.
sented TO her, of being torn in pieces or be.
t ing burnt The candles, which had been
t placed upon the table by. the side of the
corpse had been thrown down, and one OF
them had remained lighted. This one had
melted on the floor, which had caught FIRE,
t and communicated itself to the cotton win
dow curtain, aud the blaze as now, serpent
like, creeping along, over the window, und
dorting its forked tongue tlrou n the boards
which formed the ceiling.
Danger so imminent, aroused all her fac
ulties, and she determined to escape or per.
ish. Her resolution was taken in m: ment.
She determined to make the attempt thru
the roof. ClinbinS again n!hby Up the
wall OF logs, she stepped on 10 the flooring
t above, which formed the ceiling cf the room
below, and consisted Of w'aS cypress boards.
The smoke was sitting, and she gasped for
breath. She made for the end of the house,
thinking that she could push off few boards,
and emerge into HE open air. As SIZE rod
, carefully, to prevent being precipitated thro'
| the Irail support, she found the smoke grew
t denser as she proceeded, and was compelled
to relinquish the attempt at that end. She
const Qucntly turned, and, as she did 80, !icf
foot gave way, and q board broke, letting
!, one leg pas through. Springing up in alarm
and putting out her ha ds to save herself,
they came In contact with keg Of powder,
; which her father kept up there as place of
/. safety. Purchased only a few days previous,
it was full. She ehuddered, and drew back
/ from its dangerous proximity; then, moving
n step one side, she guzed below. The pan.
ther seemed only to acquire fresh rage, as
he proceeded is his dread caruival. The alb.
, domen OF the body had been torn open, nnd
the late tines drawn out and mingled with
flesh upon the floor, while ever and anon, as
e a spark of fire would fall upon the animal;
ne would utter cry Of rage, and sink his
. claws deeptr into the hnofendlng body
d The fire upon the floor was spreading, and
r portion of the intestines, jerked into the
blaze, was suffering and frying, and send.
ing forth its deadly, sickening odor. The
, daughter gaEed upon the helish scene; end
t her eyes wandered to her father's rife over
5 the mantle. But the fire was now becoming
1 fiercer, aid the flames were licking up the
5 dry boards. making it light as day above, and
crawlng unuef the Foof. A eiidden thought
of revenge shot through her mind, aud she
tore offseveral boards, rs silently as possible,
! Immediately over the fire on the floor. The
place was getting very hot now, and she had
, iuicFIy to act. Atlength she succeeded in
/ getting off two; and, eizins the keg OF pow.
E der with both hands, let it aIl through the
orbhiag into the fire. A moment she watch
ed it, as the flames curled around it, and
then swiftly fl d to the partition room. -
1 AntoCa cl, dor MIL -; 4
! over The re&t roo,t; size fecommeh need burst.
8 ing of the thin cypress boards on the gable
e end, making them fly into ,spIinters. Terror
t gave her strength, and she socn emerged
upon tie top log. The limbs of peacan
tree reached nenr her. Grosping one in her
I hand, she sprung Off; and lit upon the grou nd
unhnrt. She did not take time 10 count hs
stars; but fleet as fawn, ran for, and leap,
/ the bars. AS she did so a v;ved fash light.
ed up the country for miles, while loud
= explosion shook the ground. She turned
her head an instant; the air was filled with
splinters and pieces Of fire; and, as she sped
on, showes Of Goals and burning fragmenti
n ICII WHSEC 6uG SbuOus
1t was late in the day when an exhausted
female form was seen weariy entering the
o small collection of houses called by courtesy
: a toDa. Passing by the grocery, she glanc
I ed in, and then stood rresolute. The oil
G white mule was patiently hanging by til
n bride, where he had been haltsred the even
o ing before, resting himself first on one lie,
: and then on the otter, and piping his lon!
ears drowsilyi as he stood with eyes closed
dreaming of full corn-trough. Polly threw
h her eyes Ground, and caught those of tn
v ge"tIemanly proprietor Of the saloon, j. e.
d Jack Toombs. "Hello, gal, who you lookiu
J.. for, hey? the old man, 'spose."
"Yes," was the quick reply.
"Wall, you'll find him under the wagol
6 shed to the left, and I'm goin' to have hin
!. oiled for breakin' open my shop last night
s and stealin' whiskey, and lettin' nigh unto
r. barl run out on the floor"
o Polly did not deign an answer, but turne
g in the direction pointed out.
!. "That gals dam stiff Z" exclaimed Jacl
i ToomBs, to lodfef standing near. Ssh
y slings herself ss high, az il she war tn
n Owners darter." ..,--.,ass.- .E .
pollv found hundlad.un mass of hmm n nj