The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-11-10

drifts it covered the road, and piled up
against the fences, the stable, the we'll
curb, and-yes-against the house door.
Had. then, the aged couple abandoned their
desolate abode, and betaken themselves to
some neighbor's for time--perhaps, as I
hoped, to my own home-that being the
nearest. Or had tbey-horrible thought
had they, deprived by the snow-storm of
the provisions they had expected, devoured
what remained of their scanty store, and
then, as the old man had with a grim
humor predicted, either starved or eaten
the cat?
With heart that had almost ceased its
beating approached the house, looking in
vain for some sign of life; listening for
some sound betoken human presence
Everywhere was profound, death-like
stiffness, save when now and then an icicle
fell from the caves into the snow with a
sort Of muffled sound, or the crazy old
wooden shutter creaked slowly and family
in the scarcely perceptible breeze.
Suddenly the silence was broken by a
shrek, or yell, so loud and sharp that it
seemed to pierce through my brain.
looked up /; there in the window stood the
well-remembered black cat, his back up,
his hair bristling, and his huge tail waving
too and fro, glaring now a. me and then
at something within, which he seemed to
regard with peculiar and ferpcious inter-
est. He appeared to have grown to almost
double his former size, and his swollen and
bloared body assured me tha: be at least
had not starved. But the exultant diabol-
ical expression Of his grinning fangs and
glaring eyes, as well as triumphant walk,
can find no words to describe.
advanced to the door, and with but lit
tie effort pushed it open. But as did SO
l heard again the yell, and felt something
strike me on the breast and the grip of
sharp teeth and claws on my neck. And
with rage and horror, such as one feels
within the Shiny coils of a serpent, I
grasped the hateful thing-the ghoul-like
black cat-and hurled him in blind fury
against the wall I; and then, as he lay there
kicking and writbing, l saw that my hands
were covered with cold, clotted blood, that
there was blood on the wall, on the floor,
on the bed, and, merciful heaven what
else was there l dare not attempt to de-
scribe.
With what sick sorrow rushed out Of
an hours time l returned with my brother
Mark and our two negro men, the black
cat had disappeared.
We at first thought that the old woman
was, like her husband, lifeless, but proper
remedies revived her. She was starving,
and her hands aud her face were fearfully
lacerated. She told us feebly, a.terward,
of the terrible sufferings of those days
how they had watched for the wagons that
had never came, and how the snow storm
had prevented their seeking aid At any
house Until in the pangs of hunger the old
man had taken his meat-knife with the in
tcntion of sacrificing the cat. The struggle
between the two was fearful and in it her
husband Lad fallen, striking his forehead
against a projection OF the iron fre-dog.
She had heard his moa,ss once or twice, but
had been unable to help him or even to turn
in the bed, Aud the rest we shuddered tc
imagine.
We took the best possible care OF her,
but she never recovered from her shock.
For myself, have never Since been able
to endure the sight of black cat nor will
on any account allow one in my house.
d. may add that for years afterward, aud
in some instances even to the present day,
it was the superstitious belief Of the coun-
try that old Bnrnett's cat haunted the
house where these horrors occnri;ed. He
was certainly seen in the woods the sum
mer following, wild and ferocious, but
though we made several attempts TO hunt
him down, could never succeed.
And now, sir, do you think It Just posi-
Bile that tha. animal could have c6mpre-
hended his masters words when the latter
threatened to eat him, and have resolved
in his own mind, to turn the tables and eat
his master?