The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1875-12-09

dare c So 70 sleep. Ab6nt midnight
81: came baek to u and lishead
5tis 30 opposite direction.
81. snf fsry PC aaiis
mai did not come N sight.
Towards morning Ned and I went
to sleep, but Tom kept watch. al
together VIC passed very uneom-
Portable night. Glad enough we
were to see daylight again.
As soon as the sun rose We gather
ed.our things and waded the stream
to the other. bank and then set off for
home, keeping a sharp lookout on all
sides. But We saw nothing of the an
imal; and reached home about nine
O'Clock in the forenoon.
On the way home we had decided
not to say much about the fright we
had received. But we told Toms
older brother, Addison, and another
young man in the neighborhood,
named Dan Mureh. They laughedat
US at first, but finally said they
would 90 back with US in the after
noon, and take their gunswith them.
But they were sure it was bear We
had seen.
So after dinner we all FIVE set of,
and reached our camp of the previous
night about three o'clock. On look
ing about, We found tracks in the
mud on the bank of the stream, near
where the partridges had been de-
voured, as large as the palm of the
hand, with marks of claws. And
close by our camp, where we had
cleaned our trout, there were more of
the tracks, as if the creature had eat
en- up the refuse after We had left in
the morning. When We saw these
tracks the older boys changed their
minds, and said it must have been a
yerv large wood shock or fsher.cat.
Fcfme-the creature; srverai part
ridges were shot and hung upon the
bushes a few rods from the camp;and
Addison caught a string of trout
some of which he hung in the same
way.
Now that we had the older. boys
with us, and the guns we'll loaded,
we felt very much drawer, and ate our
share of trout and potatoes we had
brought and roasted. As soon as it
became dusk, We got under our shed
and sat quiet, keeping Rover with
US. Save the lonely hootins OF the
owls and the chirp of the crickets. no
sound was heard till quite late in the
evening. Then Rover growled, and
we saw the hair begin to rise on his
,,ool. o,,l shoulders
"Whistm muttered Dan. He is
coming, surc''
A few minutes later weheard twigs
snap. Every gun was now held ready.
4 little after, heard the scme snuff
fling sound that We heard the
night before, and soon saw the crea-
ture creeping toward the patridges
tAat were hanging from 4 BUSH
The boys saw it. The animal raised
itself stealthily, showing the white
on its breast and under parts. Dan
fred, and Addison, too, at almost the
same instant; and Tom let his gun
90 somewhat at random. recollect
hearing 4 harsh snarl, but saw moth
ing more of the animal, for there was
a great smoke. We heard it rush
through the brush. Rover dashed
after it. Away they went up the
side ofthe mountain. Then We heard
Rover barking loudly.
"He's run him into a hole" Dan
said. And as soon as the guns could
be reloaded, we followed the noise
made by the dog.
We found Rover in great crevice,
or cleft, ina ledge which overhung.
the side of the valley. Addison thrust
in a pole, and we threw in stones
1t seemed to be the mouth of a den
into which the creature had probably