Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-03-06


whats the hurry about getting home
before dark ?" asked Diana at will be |
beautiful moonlight"
"Oh, nothing" said Dick, carelessly
only you know, Di, they say that strangers
that stay out at night sometimes get fever
analogue, and l thought Mrs. Graham
would like TO get home as soon as she could"
l was rather surprised at this instance Of
prudence and consideration in Master Dick,
but l consented to take the short cut, as
knew this particular I" corduroy" had lately
been mended. Otherwise, should have
hesitated about subjecting Calvin'a colts
to the risks of the passage corduroy in that
part Of the world frequently resembling the
laird Of Ellangowans map.traps, where 81 If
a man went in he would break horses leg"
We proceed slowly, though surely, and
with no more pitches and bumps than was
reasonable to expect. 1t was Diana's first
experience of log-road, and she laughed
and chatted in high glee but il began to
strike me that Dick was even more silent
that would seem to be justified by the atten-
ton the horses demanded, and l noticed that
he glanced round with look Of apprehen-
sion, and once, at some sudden rustic in the
bushes, he started and actually turned pale.
Dick Monroe was not a BOY to be scared
merely at finding himself in strange place,
and vague nervousness aud foreboding Of
knew not what began to creep over my own
mind. Yet what possible cause Of dread
could Turk in the tamarack.swamp In the
depths Of winter there might have been some
faint possibilities Of wolves, but none had
been seen in the country for years, and,
though it was Just barely on the cards that
we might SEQ black bear leisurely crossing
the road, yet | knew that at ibis season Of
the year all tho brute would ask would be to
be let alone. But, in spite Of myself, there
grew upon me sense Of danger Of which
was ashamed to speak, 80 utterly baseless
and absurd did it seem in that peaceful
place and under the summer sky.
We had reached the middle Of the swamp,
where, on an island of firm land, stood de-
serted Lighthouse and barn. A sad story was
attached to this place. A few years before,
young man had come from the East with
his bride and had taken up this lonely bit Of
land Though he aud his wife were not more
than eighteen, and though very poor, even
for new settlers, they had gone on and pros
pered for the first year. Then the poor cir!
died With her first baby; and her husband
in spite of the efforts Of kindly neighbors to
detan him, had wandered off no one knew
whittier, leaving his homestead to 20 to ruin.
mournful interest thus belonged to the
Z" Mendowos place, and the superstitious
avoided the island in the swamp after night
fall.
/ had been with Alice Meadowes when
she died, and had taken home the poor little
baby, who, however, lived but few days,
aud was buried in her mothers grave. As
looked at the desolate lighthouse, there came
TO me a vivid remembrance Of John Mead
owes as he had stood in the door and
watched me as went away with his child.
But had small time for thought, for the
next instant the ugly dog, who had run on
before us out Of sight, came tearing back
along the road and barking and yelling ap-
parently quite out Of his senses he sprang
at the horses heads, aud seemed determined
to stop the buggy or over turn it from the
path.
Good Heavens The dog is mad ="
said Diana, in alarm.
The next instant. snorting, screaming,
wild with terror, the colts wheeled short
round, overturned the buggy, and, kicking
desperately, broke from the traces and dash!
ed back on the homeward road. We were
all thrown on the soft grass, and sprang to
our feet unhurt. Diana was in mortal fear
Of the dog, for she thought him mad; but
knew that some other danger threatened
and, looking round for place Of refuge,
made toward the Lighthouse, to which Dick
} was already urging his sister while the dog
running backward and forward from one to
the other, whined and yelped in an ecstasy
Of impotence and distress. The one room Of
the house was bare aud empty, but ladder
led to the loft above.
Sup the ladder, up the ladder, Mrs. Ora.
ham, quick cried Dick, and he flung to
! the door. "Quick l know what is com.
ing Good God This door won't fasten /! ,
Flying from we knew not what, we rush.
} cd up the ladder into the loft, and, as w
: stood together on the boards, Dick, with des
perate strength, tore the ladder from its fas
: Jennings, and sent it crashing to the floor be-
low Most happily for US, there was trap
door over the opening, and Dick pulled Il
from the rusty wire which held it to tht
wall, and secured it with ( large iron hook
which slipped into staple in the floor Or
the trap-door the dog took his stand and
alternately growing and wagging his tail
seemed at once to DEFY the coming danger
C aud encourage his friends.
There was a small window in the room
1 The glass was broken, but the heavy wood
en- shutter still swung to and fro on thu
wind, and Dick pulled it close and fastened
t it on the inside, so that but for the fain
y light that shonc through the cracks in tn,
5 floor, we were in darkness.
:, What is il | asked, in u whisper
n but, before Dick could speak, was answer
y ed.
There was terrible sound between vel
and roar, the door below was dashed from
its hinges by some great weight, and thel
= roar on roar Of bafHed, brutal rage rent tn
: air. We chung together, expecting death
tho ugh, as yet neither Diana nor | kneN
u the nature of our enemy: There was mo
. ments pause in the deafening uproar, and
. looked down through the space left by I
, missing board in the floor. What was tn
u = creature that carried its vast tawny bulk +
y and fro across the lower room, swift, cas-
. and graceful as bird 2 AS looked, tn
thing lifted its huge head aud showed it
q green eyes, glaring with hate, and the whit
glitter of its terrible teeth. There was n
u installing the nature of our peril. Tn
u beast was the Bengal tiger we had seen
a few days before in the caravan.
a Spiritless and dull as the brute had bee
10 his cage, he had struck me then as Ill
y commonly powerful and fierce, and we ha
u been told that his temper was untamabl
= savage.
What were we to do 2 We had no mean
- Of defense should the creature break in upo
y ,a IL x.aa n 1onolu r1oca and varv "a