The Home advocate. (Farmerville, La.) 1885-1???, 1885-04-10
The next day he shoots a Young

Is lt, lie lHCD scoops out llttle
hollow, just in front OF ghe door OF
the hut. which he manages to fill
with the blood of the deflnct sheep.
The carcass he hangs Inside, and
as stDn as ii becomes dark he ex.
tln|HiSheS his tire. unmuZZ!eS and
ties up the dog, and beds the sheep
very close 10 camp. He then places
himself at the door, with one hand
on the lock, ready to jump out and
fire the moment he hears the puma
outside l5pptng up the blood placed
ready for it.
Slowly and YEARLY the time
drags on. At first visions of a life
and death struggle with Il wound
ed puma keep the young hcrder in
a painful state OF anxiety. Every
time II sheep snctzes he holds his
breath in suspense, thinking the
animal is coming. But hour after
hour goes by, and still the sheep re-
main quiet, still the dog sleeps on
Finally Jack f..ds himself get
ting brewster and brewster. Once.
twice, his head drops, and he
brings hi nself up with d icrk, the
second time nearly letting 90 his
revolver. just as he Is going Oft
| for The third time he is reused by
the Omlnou>, unmiStakable rush
of terrified sheep, and the dog
starts up with a smOtiiered grOwl.
Now comes Il flesh anxiety. Will
the lion prefer live sheep, even
with the trouble of catching it, to
a probicmatical dead one ! Jack
gets horribly anxious and curses
his own thOughtlcsSness in an en-
| phatic ami earnest manner. But
he caLnot bear to give up this
chance until the last moment. He
listens 'n:ently; The stamping Of
the scared sheep gets fainter, and
the tinkliuG of the bells sounds
terribly faraN
Jack is just about 10 throw OMEN
the door and rush after them.
when his attention is drawn TO the
behavior of his dog. Her smoth-
cred growl has changed to ii long
drawn wn.ne that expresses help
less terror, if any sound from Il dog
ever did SO. He hesitatcs, with
his hand Oh the lock of the door.
Possibly the puma has scented the
dead sheep and is close around at.
ter all
Hist! What is that? Some
thing brushing past the door? Yes.
there it is again! No mistake
about it, it must he tho lion
Trembling with excitement, he
slowly and cautiously turns the
handle. Lap, lap-it is licking
up the blood. Now ior it. Throw
ing the door wide open with one
hlnd, he fires in the direction of
the enemy with the Other. There
is a hiss like that OF Il gigantic cat
and-,!eal sileuce.
With a quick impulse of self
prtsci Walton Jack shuts himself
INTO TIE hui. again, though with
small chance of wa:ding off t!e
DANCE in hat way, for TIE creature
could batter the slight framework
Of wood in with blow of it's paw. |
When will it come? Could he |
nave killed it at the first shot |
lie must have hit it the distance |
was SO short. FL a minute or two
Jack remains quiet, listening: but
soon The suspense becomes imtolen
able. He looses and nnmuzz;es |
the dog, which, to his surprise, |
irots quite comfortably up TO the
door, wishing to be let cut again.
Jack throws it open, Standing
ready for the onslaught of the I
founded animal. t,ut none comes.
Skip walks out, snt.ffins about un-
easily, it is true, but otherwise
showing no particular agitation
Jack begins now to have a dim
suspicion that he has made fool
of himself: that the mountain lion
has a, charmed life, and that "his
last chance" has failed
There is nothing to be done tut
to comfort himself with the idea,
however, that the animal has been
thoroughly scared and perhaps
wounded; anyhow will not pestcr
him again. At any rate it vii,
cause no more annoyance to night:
so, after hunting up the sheep, who
have composed themselves to rest
some three hundred yards on, ami
looking for the cart:ass of the dead
or dying puma all the way, our
herder at last turns in.
10 no cnDf inno<ll