Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-10-31
FIGHTING " THE DARK.
tn, Som ,thiag Thas Gave a Man Terri
bic Shaking Up.

said n hay fever tourist to the driver OF
a six-horse White Mountain stage, who
was skiilfullv driving with hand
which boasted only thumb.
sort o short" was the reply.
Frozen Off" suggested the hay fever
man.
mot exactly. 1t was sort O. like
this: See that little hill over there
that one with larger one just over it,
the two looking like slipper? Ye see
the slipper is 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 l found myself at dark
about five miles from home with a big
job oncompleted, and snow storm
threa'enin' that would have put an end
to haulin' for all winter. 81 stuck to
work. and in couple of hours l filed
up the sled and started down. Dark?
II was rs dark rs the inside of caow
made about half mile reckon, when
tae leaders began to snort, and one o
them tried to break out o the road, and
when got hold of him he was shakin'
like leaf. Course | thought it was
the staggers, but in 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 mvseli
by that time, and Mt last | hauled up
the team was 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
as if some one had made misstep nv
ears jest stood ont, / can tell We, and We
might o hung your hat on my eye for
tryin' to see. know'd there wasn't b
lvin' human critter within five miles.
and in minute heard tie cracklin
again. this time right along side. and
whatever it was it moved into the snaw.
and heard hard kind o breathin'.
The animals must have heard it. for tns
leader fell of again, and bein' afraid
he'd get Oft the road. grabbed the ax
and slid down. had gone about six
steps. and was jest a feelin for the
bridie--cou!dn see an inch-when
there kim the dredfullest snarl and
kind OF whsn and Il rush. and ] was
knocked agin the hosses rs il I'd been
struck by lightning. In u minute I was
down between the hoss and sometiIin
else-the Lord knows what. WAS
stunned for minute. and then tried tc
break out, expectin' to be kicked TO
death. the critters bein' crazy. Right
on one o them was = critter yellin and
screamin' like n thousand devils. Some-
how I had hung on the handle of the AK.
and without thinkin' o the hoss. let
out Jest where the cr,tter seemed 10 he.
Sure'sy r alvin hit him. and the
next minute was on my back aud the
crittcr on me. The snow WAS tolable
deep, and that's what saved me. /
grabbed the thing by the tnroal and
ciinched for MI was worth, willie Ire
erittsr cawed me. Every clip seemed
rs 'twouid tear me up. All to onct it
got my hand into its mouth ami iha'
en- led the business fol me. I reckon .
must have faintea or sonnet in, fur
wren l came TO the criticr was gem,
and the hosses was 5 andin ;tbnn hait
froze in the road. was So weak
could hardly stan,l. and M, right han
seemed all gone. saw my only chance
was to get hum, so l unll,ci,e,i Inc
leader and crawled on, havin' first let
the others loose. and stared down hill.
How got there l never knew, but
did. and it was a month afore got ou!.
Them ere fingers was All chewed up.
and had TO be cut and trimmed. was
SO scratched that the doctor said
| looked like Il bloody z-bry. and rs for
clothes, they was all torn up and done
for"
..But what was it?" interrupted the
passenger BY bis side, much interested
| In the recital.
| ..That's the curiestes thing about 1t.
| never seed il, ani it never seen me.
| We was sort o feelin' for one another,
rough eh-and-sumhlc like. A party wen
up next day ard found the team :.bou
half dead; one of the hosses' meek va
cut and torn fearful; ;.but the snow ha'
kivered up every track, so that arIer n!
what the cri,,er was you know as wei
as me. 1t wouldn't take much cf
guess though to pint out the animal
1t must a been on. o them ere wild
cats. No,hn' bu; wildcat. lynx,
a panther could have raised spch
mess; aud from the size o the cr'ttci II
| felt it, I'm inclined TO consider u
cat. .n-NcW York SRn.