The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-07-22

courage. With shrek they burst
past it, tumbling over each other, and
rolling down the doorsteps, picked
themsel fes up again and fled, palpitat-
ing, in -our separate directions, calling
for the police, imploring the aid of that
august body which they had so long
set at defiance.
What tales they related on the
following morning to all the old ladies
of their acquaintance, it is not for me
to record. One of the students broke
his sword, and vowed that he had
snapped it in his fight with the demon;
another exhibited the bruises he had
received in his fall, as evidence of the
desperate character of the conflict; q |
third wore his arm in sling as though |
it had been broken in the encounter, |
and all agreed that the monster had |
fed from them, and not they from the
monster.
The police! 80, horrors!' thought M.
QUITE, s'they have summoned the aid OF
the police. / shall be captured, be
tried and sentenced, and burned at the
stake as werewolf.
The fear of this urged him to retreat
stealthily homewards, least any of the
agents of Justice should get sight of
him and carry him away to trial. If
he could but reach home he would inn
plore his wife to stab him with a knife
between the eyes, and draw some drops
of blood, a sovereign cure for lycan-
thropy. But poor NJ. Oufe's head was
never very clear, and now it was in a
thorough condition of bewilderment,
so that he completely lost himself, and
skunk about the streets in disconso-
late manner, vainly searching for his
own domicile. His bewilderment be-
came greater with every step he took;
and his confusion and alarm were not
a little heightened by his stumbling
over an elderly gentleman, and leaving
him apparently dead of fright on the
pavement. 1t did not mend matters
when. hearing a facre driving by, he
suddenly stepped towards it and asked
the way of the driver-for the coach
man jumped off his seat in a paroxysm
of terror, aud the horses, equally
, frightened, ran away with the carriage,
whilst the people inside screamed
through the windows.
At last M. Quite sat down on door
step and gave himself up to despair.
, The stake was before him, and his
Imagination conjured up all the horrors
, of his position. chained about the waist,
, and dancing in the midst of the flames.
T All at once a familiar voice smote
r upon his ear-the voice of his eldest
SON. A ray of hope penetrated his
t breast. He rose from his seat and
, walked to meet his first-born. That
l | nyynn
' the masquerade ball at which he had
4 been figuring. He had imbibed con
t siderable amount of wine before he
t left home, and he had absorbed little
q more during the pauses in the dance
He was accordingly scarcely sober. ane
q and as he returned, he sang or talkee
e to himself at the top of his voice. Blu
b now he saw something which soberet
= him instantly This was nothing els,
# than his own masquerading habit o
i bear-skin, which he had left hanging
r over the back of chair. walkin!
}. deliberately towards him, as though
o the spirit of the departed Bruin had re
+ tenanted his forsaken skin, and wa
n coming in the dead of night to demand
i reckoning with him who had dared t
o use it as a carnival habit He stoo
and looked at it with pale face an
r staring eyes, whilst . shudder ra
ir through his frame.
/. If it had been within the limits Q
ir physical possibility, he would hav
t sunk into his shoes. When he hear
le his own name articulated in hollo,
If tones from the muzzle, he turned hee
ID and fed like the wind. In vain di
h. M. Oufie call after him; the louder b
,e called, the faster fled the youth, an
70 the distracted father was obliged t
N pursue his son. The race was ru
le with the utmost speed by both parties
a The young man was urged on by terre
a lest the skin should overtake hin
ut and Nj. Quite dreaded losing sight
n. his son, lest he should at the sam
Id time lose all chance of reganing h
Sc home. When NJ. Oufe. le .jeuaa
ne turned his white face over his shoulder
he he saw the creature gaining on hir
IT and heard its hollow calls. He dodge
at from street to street, but he invariab
ty saw the bear-skin double the cornt
he and rush after him, turn where
he would. 1t was in vain for him to hol
to to throw it out, and at last he RI
ne SGTdlSub lOI uOIuC. uIo hO hbu AOAe
ed the garden. 1t was his custom to lea
the house by the back door, and clal
mt Der over the garden rails, whenever
d. went out on his night expeditions, al
he now he made for the garden, hopil
of to climb the rails and escape throu!
ne the door and lock it before the SIX
n could overtake him.
ed He reached the ratings. 1t was
In difficult and delicate matter to 81
nd mount them with the time at his dispos
ev but now that it was to be accomplish
lly in no time at all, it was hazardous in
he extreme. M. Oufle, junior, had reach
III, the top, and was preparing to jur
he down, when furry paw grasped
he ankle and held him as though
cir a vice, for the monster proceeded
1at climb the ratings, holding on to
he leg. The poor youth endeavol
en- to break away; he writhed a
no strained to be free. Holding the il
nd bars with his hands, he vocifera
he loudly for help. The creature reach
on. the top; and clasped him round
oss waist, whilst the hideous snout '
l. l. n