The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-09-29
FIGHTING L .-a DARK.
The Som thing Tha Gave Man a Terri
ole Shaking Up,

"You seem rather short OF fingers"
said n hav'fever tourist TO the driver of
a six-horse White Mountain stage, who
was skillfully driving with hand
which boosted only Il thumb.
sort o short" was the reply.
Frozen otf?' suggested the hay fever
man.
Not exactly. 1t was sort o like
this: See that little hill over there
that one with larger one Just over il,
the two looking like a slipper? Yc see
the slipper is Il spur o the mountains,
and it was right up about tew miles up
the mountain that what I'm goin' to
tell YOU took place. One night ten
winters ago | found myself at dark
about five miles from home with bic
lob oncompleted, and snow storm
lhreatenin that would have put an end
to haulin' for all winter SO stuck to
work, and in Il couple of hours | filled
up the sled and started down. Darkp
1t was rs dark as the inside of y caow.
made about half amile reckon, when
the leaders began to snort. and one o
them tried to break out o the road, and
when | cot hold of him he was shakn'
like leaf. Course | thought it was
the stagger>, but in n minute he came
out all right and went ON, only to do
the same thing over again, rushin'
away to the right.
began to feel kind o queer myself
by that.tme. and ut last | hauled up
the team. l was n si;tin' on top o. the
load about ten feet up, and the three
bosses and me Just stood still and lis
tened. They didn't even whimper. and
just rs | was agoin' to say g'lang |
heard kind o cracklin' to one side Jest
us if some one had made Il misstcp. Ny
ears Jest stood out. can tell We, and We
might o hung your hat on my eye for
irwin to see. | know there WASH a
livin' human critter within five miles,
and in 4 minute heard the cracklin'
again, this time right along side, and
whatever it was it moved into the snow,
and | heard hard kind o brcathin'.
The animals must have heard it, for the
leader fell off again, and hein' afraid
he'd get of the road, | grabbed the Ak
and slid down. | had gone about six
steps. and was jest a feelin' for the
bridle-cou!dn't see an inch-when
there kim the drcdfullcst snarl and
kind of whish and rush. and | was
knocked a%in the bosses rs if I'd been
struck by lightning. In q minute was
down between the boss and somethin'
else-thc Lord knows what. | was
stunned for Il minute, and then tried to
break ont, eXpectin' TO be kicked to
death, the critters bein' crazy Right
on one o them was 4 crittcr ycllin' and
Scrcamiu' like thousand devils. Some
how | had hung on the handle of the aX,
and without thinliin' o the boss, | let
out Jest where the crittcr seemed TO be-
Sure's your a-livin' | hit him, and the
next minute | was on my back and the
critter on me. The snow was tolabe
deep, and that's what saved me. |
grabbed the thing by the throat and
clinchcd for all | was worth, while the
critter clawed me. Every clip seemed
rs 'twouId tear me up. All to onct it
got my hand into its mouth and that
ended the business for me. | reckon |
must have tainted or somcthin, for
when | came TO the critter was gone,
and the bosses was standin' about half
fro2e in the road. ! was so weak |
could hardly stand, and my right hand
seemed all gone. saw my only chance
was to get hum, SO | unhitched the
leader and crawlod on, havin' first let
the others loose, and started down hill.
How / got there never knew, hut |
did, ana Il was a month aiorc got out.
Them ere fingers was all cheWcd up,
ana had to be cut and trimmed. was
so scratched that the doctor said |
looked like a bloody Hcbry, and as for
clothes, they was all torn up and done
Tor
"But what was it?' interrupted the
passenger by his SIDE, much Interested
IN the recital.
"Iutts the cWic>tcs thing about it.
| never seed il, and il never seen me.
We was q sort o lcc!in for one another,
'ough-and-tumble Ike. \ party went
lp next day and found the team about
laif dead; one of the ho~>c,' neck was
ut and torn fearful; but the snow had
,iyercd up every track, 80 that artcr all
What the crlttcr was YOU know as well
Is me. 1t wouldn't take much of n
,uess though to pi int out the animal.
1 must u been one o them ere wild |
ats. Nothin' but wildcat, lynx, or
panther could have raised such II
ness; and from the size o the critter rs
felt it, I'm inclined to consider it
at. ''-Ncw York. san.