The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-02-03

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just then the wagon jolted over large
stone, he was thrown on the coop, the
stick was punched violently into pigs
side, it squeaied, Lot screamed and Pat
ty began to cry.
Considerably out of patience, Sally
leaned back, and, catching him by the
arm, was about to seat him rather vic.
lently beside her, when she was arrested
by his exclaiming
"See see! Sally, look look what
an awful bear !"
The tone of his voice more than his
words-for he was q sensational child,
and was constantly seeing wonderful
things-caused Sally to turn her eyes in
the direction indicated by his frightened
gesture.
The wood was open at this spot, and
there were no large trees near but at
some distance, almost alone, stood q
great sycamore, the branches of which
were nearly bare; between the tree and
the road the ground was thickly covered
with blackberry, pawpaw and other
bushes.
As she glanced quickly toward the
great sycamore, something huge, she
could not tell what, leaped from the tree
to the ground, and she could hear the
underbrush crack beneath it. She knew
there were no ferocious wild animals in
| Ohio, nothing in the forests to harm
her, and had not been for many years,
| but her face blanched with fear.
ellie down." she said, in a tone which
| both terrified and quieted the children,
as she thrust Lot to the bottom of the
wagon and tore the stick from his hands,
laying it quickly and forcibly on Dolly's
back.
The horse sprung forward in a gallop,
reaching the foot of the hill in a few mo.
ments and gathering over the few boards
thrown across the creek for a bridge.
Now Sally ventured to look back. The
huge thing was on their track, coming
along in great leaps, which would soon
bring him up to them.
Don't raise your heads" she said to
the children, who were so alarmed they
lay perfectly still. Then she leaned
forward and with all her strength be-
labored the horse. There was long
level piece of road now, but the nearest
house was mile off. Poor Dolly was
speeding over the ground, intensely
reused and excited by this unusual treat
ment, and seemed to feel there was dan
ger, for her ears stood erect
Sally turned again to look. There
was nothing now to intercept her view,
and she saw the terrible animal not far
behind, amid the cloud of dust their
progress made, coming on-on!
Trantically she struck poor Dolly.
els the bear coning9 Will he eat
us2" came in smothered accents from
tha hottno, of tho xy,o sro,, yubara fba obil-
dren lay with their faces pressed close
to the boards.
Sally did not reply. She gave another
look, saw that the thing gained on them,
and exerting all her strength in giving
Dolly last blow, which sent her bound
ing forward, she got over the seat-over
the children, unheeding their questions,
and seizing one of tile coops threw it
over the tail-board out in the road. The
pigs squealed as it touched the earth,
and the noise added to Dolly's terror,
which was now SO intense she was entire
ly beyond Sally's control.
care we going to be eaten up ?" Lot
whimpered, in almost a whisper.
"Hush," she answered, " hush"
She let the horse take its way, and
placed herself on her knees between the
children and the other coop.
The terrible creature had stopped. She
could see it strike the coop with its
paw, and see the pieces dy as he touched
it. How long would it keep him, she
thought and there came thrOb of re-
lief as she saw that meantime they We're
speeding further and further away.
She looked round in vain there was
no one in sight, the farmhouse was still
a quarter of q mile ahead, and the ami
NAL she feared was becoming only
black spot in the distance but as she
gazed with fixed eyes, she saw the dust
rise again. 1t was moving.
They reached the farmhouse gate. 1t
was closed. She could not stop Dolly
now, and, even if she could, she had
not tho courage to get down and open
it, and drive o the house some distance
up the lane. She called aloud, but no
one heard. There were turns in the road |
several ; she could not see the animal
coming. This was worse than watching |
its approach. She threw the other
coop out, then stretched herself between |
the children, closed her eyes, and drew |
her arm tightly around each.
AS she lay thus clasping them, she
felt Dolly's space slacken. She kept |
still, feeling that if she moved some
thing would spring upon her. The
horse was evidently wearying-gradually
her gait became slower they must be
near the village.
With great effort she raised herself,
and saw the houses only little distance
in advance. She crawled over the child
rem and the seat, and gathered up the
reins. Dolly gave a start as she did so,
but in moment subsided-got into her
usual pace, and dropped that for walk.
In few moments she was in the street
Of the village, and at the store. Chamber
ing out of the wagon, Sally tried to tell
MIR. Jones her story, but burst into tears,
and was unable TO speak.
The children, who had followed her,
now found their voices, and eagerly
5old of the bear, and how she had
thrown them the pigs.
"Bless my soul, what is this ?" asked
Mr.. Jones, in excitement.
Then Sally recovered, and informed
nim of what had happened to them.
"Why-why," he muttered, in agita-
.ation, sits the panther that escaped
asst night from the menagerie at W.
There is the handbil put up about an
hour ago, Offering a reward for it.
You're-you're lucky he did not ma
make meal of you instead of the
pigs"
Patty shook her head: 9Th, poor
things hollered so."
A crowd soon gathered in the store,
eager to hear all Sally had to tell; then