Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-12-13

II
rushed At him There was something
Of . fight bat FIVE Of the dogs were
killed in a. many minutss-torn TO
pieces by the huge. sharp claws ana
teeth of the monster. Tho only SUR
vivor among the CANNES was tho ht'ie
fee. which bravely kept up the
fight 1t would charge up
and snap at the panther's hind
legs. causing him to turn. then
oound nimbly away. to return again
and again to the contest The peculiar
tactics of the spunky little dog embar.
raised and hindered the movements OF
\ the panther. and enabled the Germ an
and the negro to gel in their work
They assaulted him with their clubs.
striking hi-o repeated blows A last
the negro knocked him down. and The
German ran up and stabbed him to
The heart with large clasp-knife Blu
for the plucky little fice-the real
hero Of the occasiOn-there is no Tell
ing how the con est might have ended.
The panther measured three lengths
| of an axe.handle-about seven feet
and would weigh three hundred
pounds
Dawn on the B'ackwater. in South.
eastern Saline, abpp the year 1880 Il
settler named Samuel Miller had built
his cabin and was opening a small
farm. H. had two little daughters.
jennie a Susie. aged seven and SIX.
One morning the mother of the little
iris sent them IN an errand to
neighbours. nearly Two mics distant
The road was mere pathway through
the thick woods. but the children
knew it very we'll Hand in hand they
foddled along. unheeding because u"-
conscious Of peril. But half mile
from home. on tie upper arc Of large
leaning tree. which bent directly over
the path. they Saw a large panther
stretch, out at full length. basking
in the morning sun! They did not
know rightly what it was.
oh. Susie" said jennie there's
a WOLFF
Yes" said Susie. land spect its
the bad old fellow that catchsd my
lamb and kills papa's pigs Let u
90 right back home and tell papa. and
he will come and sliooti it wiz his gum"
But what if it runs away while
we're gomez" returned j .nnie. Tell
you what We'll do. Susie: You stay
here and watch it, and I'll run and
tell papa! l can run fastest, you
know"
Little Susie readily assentcd to the
arrangement assuring her sister that
if the ''bad old wolf should come
down the tree she would 'fake a stick
AMI punch his eyes ont" Then gath
ering up some acorn cups and
q lantity of velvet moss. she set abou,
constructing a 'play house" at the
foot OF the very Tree on which crouched
the panther. watching her curiously.
Presently he arose and walked back
and fourth. back and forth, along the
level extent of the tree, as if impa-
tient and meaning 10 descend. B
Susie shook her little fist at him
menacingly. and soon he Law down
again with his hea between his paws,
iazily blinking hi, great yellow eyes.
las it," Susie said. ''he was awful
sleepy"
Away ran jimmie. feet rs little
fawn. and i'm due lin she reached her
fathers cabin and hurried Y told her
mother that there was ''big WOLF
on a tree. and that Susie lal "staid 10
mind it," Mrs Miller at once COM
! rehended The narrowing truth. and
called frantically to har hus band. who
was at work in his clearing near by.
Mr.. Miller came ut once. accompanied
by young an in his employ named
Gorge P.unkett. Ra izing he i'm.
minent peril of his child. and dread
ing that perhaps already horrible
fate had befallen it. the pioneer d d
not speak word. but in a few seconds
he and young Piukett. rifle in hand,
were running swiftly tn the scene.
Nearing The locality. NJ Her said:
If We are not too lale George. let
me fire first"
SSapAN th- CItIOGtouS Va Tue ucI
al this time may be imagined; Ger.
tainly can not describe them. Faint
hopes and sickening fears alternated
in his breast rs he sped .elly on. l
was hardly poss bic that The Child was
yet alive. but us the panther had not
sprung at first, there was q bare
chance. Meanwhile. in the little
CABIN hone. the agoniz al moi her had
caught her remaining little one 10 her
breast. and was praying silently but
fervenilv.
But-O the joy of it!-on coming
within sight If the faleful tree NJ Her
saw his enid safe and unframed. The
little innocent was busy at her piav.
grooming -weetly the while. Doubtless
II who stol pei the ouIhs Of the
Ions hal preserv ID her! H gh above.
the pan her was on his perch. Il two
seconds Miller's rife rang out. the
! . Their came crashing to the ground.
a liet fairly in its brain. and little