St. Landry democrat., 1882-06-03
A MYSTERY.

It was little Tom Dodger, the washer
woman s boy, who saw it first.
The whole neighborhood had been
disturbed by fearful noises issuing from
Chestnut Woods. The sound was vari-
ously described, but all agreed that it
was very terrible. .'-s .siT,,.. 1.
Pretty Janet Dale heard it while
standing before the glass putting her
hair in crimping pins one night, and
was so frightened that she crept into
bed and covered her head with the
counter-pane, leaving one side of her
hair undone, and this although the next
day was Sunday and she sat in the
| choir; sOyou can see what a state of mind
she must have benin.
Mrs. Skinner heard it while standing
at her back door feeding the geese, and
dropping her basin, ran back into the
house crying that somebody was being
murdered; but her husband, who heard
the sound, too, declared it was the cry
of catamount ''He guessed he
wasn't born up in Vermont State, close
to the Green Mountains, not to know
catamount when he heard it, ...
Captain Marsh, ON the contrary, was
equally as sure it was the cry of a
panther. "He had hunted in Canada
when he was boy, and had shot a
panther himself Most persons were
inclined to side with the valiant Captain,
because panther is larger than cata-
mount, and if you are going to have any
thing marvellous, the more marvellous
the better a. ....7ua.@
I Then there was Erastus Cummings,
the Second Adventist, who heard this
cry. and thought the end of the world
had come.
Yet while so many had heard the
sound, it was little Tom Dodger who had
seen the animal first. t3 .
His own account was this: s...
He was passing through Chestnut
Woods-taking the short cut home be-
cause it was late-and something whisked
by him; he couldn't exactly see what,
but its eye-balls glared like fire.
Tom account was not definite, and
was apt to take any size or shape &C.
cording to the questions put to him. -.
In this respect it was like the India
rubber figure in the pantonlime, which
no doubt some of you have SEEN. Now
as tall as a giant, now as short as Tom
Thumb; now as flat as a founder, now
round as a porpoise. But one thing
Tom stuck to through thick and thin;
namely, the fiery eyes. t @a
And Tom was a hereof course he
was; wherever he went, all the little
boys followed him like the tail of kite.
Tom had seen the animal. Mr.. Grout
had seen it, too, when driving an OK
team through the road bordering the
woods. tn a.''!1syA t'.5| @''t' ~
The creature must have been much
on the rampage, for he, too, had only
glimpse of it as it darted by, and all he
could say was that it was large and
mouse-colored
Then there were two young men who,
if they had not seen the beast itself, had
seen tracks in the road much larger
than any dog s, SO they, too, considered
themselves entitled to some humble
share Of Tommy fame.
At length Captain Marsh took the
matter in hand, and declared that some
thing must be done.
We can't stand it no longer,'' said
Ao, suSAl OsolHSp q StlcCb dulleuce OF MS
fellow-citizens assembled in the village
bar-room. "Our women are getting
nervous''--
"Jes' SOL interrupted one of his
hearers, "Polly-that' my wife won't
sleep with the second story window open
for fear the panther Il jump in.'
90 And my wife walked me up the 9TH
er night" said another, 'sbecause she
heard noise in the chimbly, and
thought to be sure twas the panther"
GU see the truth Of my statement"
continued the Captain, "and / would
add that our children can't go through
Chestnut Woods for fear of their lives.
Now, as said, we can't stand this no
longer, and / propose that we GO out in
a body and hunt the animal
To this all assented, and the Captain
was chosen to lead the devoted band, on
account of his military experience;-he
had been Captain of militia company,
and had once covered himself with glory
in sham fight.
He accepted the honor with due mod
esty, and named time for the expedi-
ton to start. At the hour appointed,
four o'clock of the next afternoon, a
party of twelve men mounted on theil