The Home advocate. (Farmerville, La.) 1885-1???, 1885-04-17
Camp Life on the Prairies
ET 4. II. P.
Cha pier III

Hiscslcuiations 30 not, however
tusl ont correct. With {. perii.l.tc
NY truly Lllb,lic,tl this palla still
prOw,S aDC!it On every dark night
and drive poor J ac,< into 4 sttt.
hotwcc ca;lu,:.il2ss ana N.Sr:ti.
But all lhln3s cone T. 40 end IL
time. and after thl.c weeks "t thi>
work he has his revenge. All day
before thu nig'lr IN Question, tue
air has been f.arf,,l'y oppressive.
and by snntlo~h heavy thnnde:
clouds begin 20 gathc., and by the
time supper is over and the sheep
dr. ',edd.d down it is pretty cyl
'.cut that there is g"in. to uu a
terrible storm.
Ever, thin. is perfectly still the
darkness can be almost felt. Sud
dcu!y tho sky is lighted up b. a
brilliant fash Of lightning that
lasts for nearly half d minute.
Casting his eye in the direction
Of the sheep, Jack sees something
that makes him dive into the
house and buckle Oh his pistol, IL
spite OF the great drops Of RI II
that are besinilins 70 tail. Only
fifty yards from the sheep Is thr
veIitable mountain lion. seen now
for the first time. If onI, 4 fast,
as bright AZ tho last will come be.
fore the rain l'Ours down!
The sheep have also seen their
enemy, and come crow'!!ns NJ 10
wards camp, bsying AS if for pro.
lection, collecting, in their terror,
aOout the man and dos, and even
taking refuge in he dug ont. An
other minute goes by with his
pistol held in both hands, TO in
sure : certain aim the young herd
CT waits tor the second flash Of
lightning. j. coAnes. Twenty
yards away now. standing ercc;
aud lookinE-.JacA afterwards de
clared-as big as a hippopotamus;
il the puma.
"Crdck' went the revolver. ard
simultaneously with tie r.por,
down comes the rain ll tnrreuiS:
and all father sound is drowned
by the terrific peal Of lhu.a,er tul.
lowing The lightning. Jack leaps
back into the hut, and kicking out
the intruding sleep locks himself
i'll, waiting until the storm subsidies
and feeling ins;inctiveiv that this
tin'o he ha: not missed hi, n ,rk.
The rain, however comes down
IN Z steady pom that prom: SEES To
continue all night, so Jack rolls
himself in his blanket, ami leaves
all further research till morning.
At daylight he turns ont expect
ing to iil.sl that the sheep had
taken their departure to harpi,r
Lands, az they Usually do Wien
they arr left "a their own device
and it j. particularly necessary Tor
them 7" remain II home. This
time, however. hi, fears ar. not
realized--tney l,a>in. merely ad-
jOurned to The lee side Of the hill.
Next he investigates the place
where he fonl!y hopes he had s'.in
his troublesnn'e enemy the nigh,
before. TIER, is To punaa, hit is
quite certain out ID. appi ca.:l,inr
the spot there are unmis,;,kuble |
signs If al animal having strur-
re | III great agony. The grass is !
torn UP by the roots in many pla- !
ces, and IL three little ho!Iows |
there arc three little pools Of blood. |
Evidently the puma had been hard |
hit; bnt how it contrived TO take ,
itself off and creep away 20 its den
probably at least a mile away
are problems not destined to be-.
solved.
For weeks afterwards Jack hints
~ every possible and impossible
direction for the body, but never
discovers it. However, the game
is played out. From that time
forth he il not again annoyed by
lions.
For a week or two after the adj.
ventures just described, Jack Hal
,'day lived peaceful, though lone
" life. The irrational blind sort
ofterror experienced the first night
IN camp soon died away, but in its
place came a dull, callous reckless
ness, bred by the unvaryirg mo-
,otOny and utter loneliness Of the
ife. Oh for some human compau.
on! How gladly would he do any ..
lrudgery. any overwork If he could !
nut live with his fellow creatures ,
gain! But there was no help for q
{. Some one must take the sheen
nto camp, aud Why not he? All :
hose who called themselves
western men" had done it before l.
i'm. i
Once q week his employer rode I
own, bringing provisions and any