The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-06-15

in my way for me to stumble over, and
tear my dress with your teeth. Come
on, sir" she added sharply as she start
ed to proceed.
The dog, thus admOnished, stalked
on few steps in front, but he con-
tinued to whine at intervals while his
keen eyes were gazing in the woods
ahead, and his ears were pointing in the
same direction.
Thus they passed on for ten rods or
more, when all at once with a low growl
of anger, Towscr sprang back to his
mistress, seated himself upon his
launches directly in front of her, his
whole body quivering with fear or eX-
citement, the bristles upon his back
erect and his eyes fixed upon some OBJ
iect in the top Of a tree not far distant.
A Slight ruStling in the tree caused
Carrie suddenly to turn her eyes in that
direction, when sight met her gaze
that froze her young blood and seemed
to paralyze every muscle with fear and
horror!
Upon horizontal branch about TWEEN
ty feet from the ground and not fifty
distant from where she was standing.
lay the yellowsh-brown body of huge
panther, its wide mouth open, display
ing its blood-red gums and glittering,
stilletto-like teeth, its glaring eyes fixed
with fascinating power upon her, its
sharp claws working in and out of the
messy bark of the tree as if making
ready for a sure and fatal spring, its
serpent-like tail gently swaying to and
fro with sinuOus, snaky motion, SEEM
ed to chain her to the spot where she
stood and deprive her of all power.
She essayed to scream, but though
her lips parted, no sound came forth.
Despite her fear, she was still in pos
session of reason, and how alert was
every sense.
She could distinctly hear the ripping
of the stream as its waters ran murmur-
ing 10y few rods away. The hum of
insects sounded pretematurally plain
to her ears, she even noted how clear
and blue was the sky above the tree
tops. She believed she was about to
die a cruel death from the teeth and
claws of the savage beast perched in
the tree near her, and her whole mind
was filled with horror at the thought of
so terrible fate.
She thought of home and the dear
ones there-how alarmed they would
feel when night should have come and
she had not returned. How they would
start out to search for her, thinking she
was lost in the woods; and what grief
would wiring their hearts when, after
long search they would find her torn
and mangled body lying dead upon the
gromd-dead from the terrible teeth
and claws of the panther.
She thought too of Raymond. Would
he, too. feel grief at sight of her dead
and mangled body? OF course he would
feel soToW as over the untimely death
Of any acquaintance, but would he
mourn for her as she would for him
were their positions changed? These
and many other thoughts crowded her
mind as thoughts crowd the minds OF
those who are facing certain and sud
den death She did not fear to die, if
she could die at home, surrounded by
friends as did her little brother Willie;
for she believed that to her, death
would only be transition to an inf
nitely higher, better life; but to die thus
it seemed 50 hard.
But the panther, which had apparr
emily delayed its attack that its victim
might suffer mental tortures more ter
rible than death itself, began to make
lnmistakable preparations for the fatal
spring. Its hind feet were gathered
firmly underneath its body. its tail lash
ed wildly to and fro, its whole body
Quivcred us it was concentrating all its
powers, and Carrie felt that the next
moment would be her last on earth,
when crdck' rang out the sharp report
Of rife, and the panther gave vent to
a shrill scream of anguish as a bullet
crashed through its brain, and it Sprang
from the limb in the direction of the
girl,
But it fell short of her by few feet,
and as it struck the ground quivering
in the agonies Of death, brave old Tow
ser sprang forward and grappled with
it lest in its death struggles it should
do harm to his mistress, and Raymond
| Belmont. for it was he who CHANGED to
be passing near, saw the panther, and
fired the shot not one moment too soon
sprang forward, caught the fainting
girl in his arms and bore her out of
reach of the plunging, struggling, dying
panther.
CHAPTER XII.
A BACKWOODS WEDDING.
| RAYMOND had been hunting on that