The Red Cloud chief., 1880-03-25

an osa m..sss's ss~sy 80 nyx~~~ Day
gyrs-.a tAs S~- yorR rz<.

p~rehsi up smoag th~>e hills. he o'hsr
iay. ,eilins yarns and diecuss3ng The
prospects OF the country. kysa Kat
,lesnaks fesr," srgae II whosr s,ssfSc.
appeared In the Hssor M 'crI $40.
was induced 20 leave hts bat. nssr Hoy
lsAar Rocks. and pan the merry cro~d
Every one u the vel known characters
q the vicinity bad told for the hua'
lredih time some fsrorite episode II hts
Own ar some fictitious persons life, and
the listeners were getting tired and
sleepy. when q stranger. who hsi hi'h'
rrta been ~unphervei. tn the rear 81 the
crowd spoke out "Frtsnds." he s~i.
=. yuu have not; asked me - speak, and
I have. So far. been contsn; IA listen q
the incidents yoa have related. BE, Do
ao, believe in being entertained ~ithoa,
furnishing some entertainment In ne
turn. 81. with your permission, vii
give you an ~an-csiots oui II my persnnsl
history which I can vouCh for. ho~ey.F
much YOU may 30 inclined Ia d0ui,t It's
accuracy. This l. my irs, visit Ia this
part 81 the State, mos, q cay days
having been spent In iike CoaBiy
when was a boy the woods there
about. were wili and covered stth =
thick u~ndorbrash. and many Kinds II
reptile. and animals kt-ouBdsd. The
species known as the e~aiatnousi e~xis'eS'
in larger numbers than any other. You
know the caiamoun, Is NOR. Ike the
panther than any thing else. being larger
and more fcrocious than \ Wild cat. uur
little village had been bull; on the edge
~ n % the longest stretches 81 ~o-ssi-
land Ia the county. 50 that u only tnok
a few minutes la bring you into the
dense ihickets. IL was la the winter II
ls5s that I am Ia tell you of. va,
then about thirteen years old, and as
rugged aud strong a. most 81 the young
men II twenty arr in these Tunes. All
through the auinmn the catsmouni and
hlack-snake had bothered the men cut
ting timber for home usc. Several IF
the villagers had been badly hurt. and
one old man Was killed by the tricky
animal. The boys always helped in
hauling The logs and pieces of timber.
driving the buck wagons from the woods
10 the houses, where 1t was 10 be dumped.
After old Uncle Simeon was killed, the
women became badly scared. and made
he men 20 armed. and wouldn't let Us
youngsters 20 on the teams. No more
trouble occurred, however, until the
winter set in. Every thing wa quie,
then. and the fright caused by the
accidents of the fall had passed
away. One day "A terrible snow-st0rm
set in. The flakes came down So thick
that We couldn't see from our windows
across the road 10 sam. Briggs, house.
BY dark il had become three feet deep.
aud We could hardly get to the barn Ia
feed the stock. About seven O'Clock II
stopped showing. and began Ia blow
very hard. IL grew very cold Also. We
hcaped great logs on the fire, and had
she blaze roaring up the chimney. The
Did man was resting quietly in the cor
ner. smoking his pipe, and seemed not
to care about what was going on, when
suddenly We heard a long. deep grusi
coming from the woods. The old man
knew what hat meant, and - did some
# my older brothers. The ~catamounts,
maddened by hunger. aud prevented by
the storm from getting any thingto eat.
we're coming in = body la the village.
In a minute all were aStir. Two of the
boys started for the barn Ia see tina; the
door Was fast. SD that tn. catamounis
could not destroy the cattle. The rest
of Us were told Ia fasten the windows
and hunt up the guns which were about
the house somewhere. went Ia close
a window, and then | could see the dark
pack rushing as fast n they could
through the snow. The sky had cleared
and the stars were out, so that | could
see the folks at Briggs and down
the street were preparing for the
hungry animals. l didn't get
those blinds shut any too
quick either, for the head of the gang
were within a fes yards II the house.
just as | was leaving the room the old
man came rushing through the hall say
ing, Jim and Jake nave been headed
off between here and the barn by the
pack, and all the wild cats are on EN-
You bet there was lively movin' around
then. The old man and Bill, an older
brother, took the guns aud went up
stairs To the bed windows looking
out on the yard. We could hear the
boys yelling for help amid the growls Of
the delighted animals. 1 put for an
upper window. and there was a fearful
sight. Jim had drawn his jsck-knife.
and was keeping the cats at bay, but
poor Jake was helpless. a big fello~
had him down, aud Jake had his hands
on the ~rascal's throat with an awful
grip. Four or five more Of the gang
were trying Ia get n show at Jake, too.
He kicked right and left. and fought
like a tiger. Jim had his hands full,
even though he did have aknife. They
got behind him, and would jump on
him. He gradually worked his was
toward the house, however, and sister
Sue, a brave girl, with nerves like a sol
der, was waiting To open the door and
let him in. The old man fired from The
window first, and one Of the pack fell
dead. Neither Bill nor the GUNNER
dared shoot at the animals RICH. around
Jake for fear Of shooting him. In was ~-
full, | tell you, friends. Bill put a
charge in another Of the fierce brutes.
and be keeled over. b. that time some
of the pack were devouring the first
catamount that the old man had shot.
But there were so many Of them that
even the two dead ones only drew away
a few Of the gang. Jim had put two If
them u Of the way, and was working
his way fast toward safety. but he was
terribly weak from the wounds the cats
had given him. He wa perfectly cool,
though, and he shouted &c TO Bal:
. Kill another BLACKBOARD, and then
enough Of EN- viii he busy eatin't to give
me time Bill cracked away. and dowa
went a catamoant close 10 Jim. Two
or three Of the beasts Jumped on the
wounded members Of the pack. and jun
made a dash for the door. Sue had il
unfastened. and the minute he reached
the steps, she threw j; open and he
in, bat, by George. one Of the
rascals sprapg in with him
Then l tell you there was fun She had
4 big meat-knife in her hand and she
the brute. but il only exasper-
.,ed him. IL went for her right away.
and in q moment there WAS a cut down
her pretty cheek that left a scar she al
xays carried afterward. Jim turned n
luick as a fash and buried his jack
zuife deep in the brute's throat Ii was
. sumner, but before the animal expired
ne gave Jim = dig in the right hand thai