The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-01-05
Lewis Bcdspread---A True Story.

the talleSt boy In my ScnOOl WAS Levi
Beardsley, dark-eysd, olive-skinned
young fellow of II or 1S years, lad of
rare merit in every respect. In board
ing round it fell to my LOS to go first
to Lewis home; and this, with his win
ming ways and worth, made us friends
from the beginning. Many were the
good times we had at the school stud
les, visiting around the great open fire.
place, cracking nuts, popping corn,
skating and sleighriding over the wild
country roads.
One cold evening as we were starting
for spelling school" in another dis
trict some miles away, his mother came
to. the door and said we would need
more lap-coverings for such n night.
We assented, and she turned back into
the house, saying, "Pll bring you Lewis
bedspread."
In moment she was at the door
again, and as l took the dark mass
from her hand, she said, "He has out
grown it for his bed, but it is long
enough for lap-roba.
Tucking it around us, away we went
in our homely back-woods rig; and as
we glided through the forests and past
the scattered log houses, Levi told me
about his bedspread He came into the
possession of it the spring he was 9
years old. He was very fond of fishing,
which is not unusual with boys, and was
peculiarly successful, which is unusual
with fishermen of any age.
One morning early IN May, accom-
panied by his little dog, he sprang into
the skiff on his fathers mill-pond and
padded up stream t. fisi for trout in a
brook that ran into the pond half mile
above the dam. Now, in order TO UNI
derstand the best point of Lewis adj
venture it is necessary to get clear
idea of the mouth of this brook. 1t came
down from among the hills, leaping
from rock to rock and scudding across
the levels Ikea squirrel at play. Its
last leap was it's highest; and, as if
scared at having jumped so far, it qui-
city slipped into half circle around
huge rock, and hid itself in the waters
of the pond, which a. this place was
five or six rods wide and flowing on
with strong current TO the dam. Tie
pool Mt the foot of this fall was Lewis
destination; spot where he had often
been before, and never without success.
Softly padding his boat to the shore
of the pond, q few feet below the mouth
of the brook, and pulling one end of it
upon the shelving rock, he had only to
chamber up the bank n little to be in
the best position for fishing the pool.
Leaving the dog in the boat and TAX
inn Elh- vol IN hn xtyaI
slyly dipping into the foamy waters
where waited the trout. How many
"speckled beauties he had caught, L
know not, but only few minutes had
passed when a slight noise on the rocks
just above him caused him to look up.
All what a sight met the boys eyes.
There, within fifteen or twenty feet,
was his bedspread mot yet his, how
ever, dappled and glossy, constituting
the wrapping of alother individual.
And that individual, with plaring eye
balls, ears laid back, unsheathed claws
and flashing tail, seemed about TO seek
a nearer acquaintance with Levi.
A glimpse was enough for the lad.
Dropping his fish-pole, he slid like a
fash down the bank toward the boat,
thus passing instantly out of sight of
those glaring eyes. But scarcely had
he left his perch by the trout-hole ere
it was occupied by the other individual.
At this turn of affairs the dog began an
excited yelping in the further end of
the boat, Immediately absorbing the
panthers attention And more quickly
than it can bc told, the little creature
sprang again into the mir this time al
ter the dog. With heavy lunge she
came down midway in the boat, by her
weight and impetus sending it adrift
and propelling it to the middle of the
stream, where the current turned it
swiftly toward the dam. The dog, of
course, did not like such company, and
as the panther came into the skiff he
jumped ont and swan ashore.
Now the feline nature is very unlike
the canine in respect to water cats gen
orally disliking it extremely, while
many dogs take great delight in il. So
this huge cat, with her dread of water,
was in great trepidation when she saw
that she was cut off from the land on
every side. She crept from end to end
of the boat, now and then raising her
head, lifting her ear, and whining in
p.tiful manner. Levi watched her
floating on where the current grew
stronger and stronger and the banks
wider apart.
All Mt once it joyfully flashed on his
mind that she was likely TO go over the
high dam down into the rocky, boiling
chasm below, where no living thing but
fish could survive. At this prospect
he clambered hastily around the ledge
and up the bank and started off as fast
as he could run among the trees for the
shore of the gorge below the dam. As
he ran he caught glimpses of the skiff
and its occupant drifting surely on to
her fate. Soon he arrived and took his
stand at the edge of the wide eddy be-
low the fearful chasm. Eagerly then
he watched the crest of the water at
the brink Of the dam, where the cur
rent broke over and plunged down the
gulf In moment the object Of his
interest appeared, skiff, panther and
| oil, hung O second on the brink, and