The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-06-29
THE uNWELcoME VISITOR.

the UhWELC0ME VISITOR.
Atlanta Constitution.
WALL YES; that thar was onct !.
painter said old Teb pontiu. tp II non
dcscript looking affair ui II muddy hue,
much iraycd at tho edges, tnl with the
hair well worn of in spots. "nun't lu"l
much that way, do hit. I'utyou scc me nd
Callinc have raised seven children one
after anutl"r, nd they've all walcrc'i
that thar hide, lcttcn' alone of usin' hit
fur IL bod kivcr every winter iur twenty
yrars cumc mex .lauuwary.'
old Tch was II erizAcd wiry hunter nj
the Hue Ridge Mountains, whose long
rifle and cnonskin pouch were better
known in the wi,ls OF Bnnrumlm County
in those days that the features of far more
celebrated men. His cabi II w;,s II ,ncr,, she'll
oi lnlf-dccayct! logs. with ~ dirt floor, and
its roof held down by stones and l,"lcs.
In summer it was airy or wet, in winter
cold and smoky Dried vcnis"n ltu;
from the srimmy j"isis; lean hound, slept
i'll the ashes of the fireplace, and on 'h.'
| outer walls the kiis ui luxt,,. cuur,s .,ni
sruun,lhoys were stretched out tu dr.. III
odOr"us prufusuu.
Hts wife, IL hank, Hal"w woman. clad in
dirty humcspnu wits griffin ."as in
years" un - home. l,.Ic tin er.,trr lur
their daily supply "i grit lr.H,i' whllr
several ragged, ray,cntinr children squat
tc'l about. vacamtly silrut and observing.
The youngest bay ,nrkm- l,, 'hnnh upon
the panther skin. and Icb himself Wis
cutting surnc CREASED w;,ds lur his luit.
rifle.
Ia nt.rE nowadays ~ crh"u, ~ ,h;lr
lis hen teeth" hr continued bu, that
| thar Narmint war my ius ni,r. tho
I've lun,rk",l over IL many !. one .,e,nc.'
So Tch rrlnat"d the "it told t.,lr
| that hunters delight in aud without lul
| lowing his peculiar o,liuui, ". vii -iy. he
substance of his narrative in cur avn
words.
Several years hrlo," his marriage he had
| lived in this same cabin with his n"thrr
| AMI sister. om bitter win'"r's, u,gl,, I,r
| aud his sister WERE. lrit alone. their mother
having gone down tu the little store at
l..slcr' s Gap 1" do sornc trading She
| WAS not expected bnck before morning.
some two years his junior.
IL had been II bad winter. There WIS no
mast in the woods. an.l wild aniual. ~,
well AZ tame were furnishing. I:rars l,;,i
been seen down in the caves. and the mel.
ancluly howl of the wolves had been
l'chr" at ni:hi f;,r from their usual l,',unts.
u WAS said that IL large panther had
caught II ycnrlIs close by ""d mAn
l'erry's' cuwpcn, and many were he in
functions laid ON Ich aud Mag Iy ,li"i,
mother ;'s t" remaining in after dnrk.
so that nigh, they brought in the yellow
cur dog f"r company. blurred tiir do.".
built !, rousins liro ri "ni aud l,ino knots
and felt quit" cosy. despite HE cold
drausht p"urin: in through the hall ci,iuh
cd logs, or tllr sad whistle "i the night
wind down tht gorge, where ~ I"~ crecl.
in,pnnr'l and toiled on lis cu'irs" down tu
the river below l:ut us the lire died, thry
went To bed To- keep warm and Ted w.it
Just dropping into II ,luAc when he hear,
the house cut Incwiu. to hc let in Then II
pl;lntivu cry llontcd down the hollow
that seemed not unlike that ni IL child in
distress, winding up, however, with II pro-
lunsrd snnrl. Tho eat rcdoub.d its cu
treaties. and scratched Justify ut the
door.
Ted rose, shivcrug with cold and vague
apprehension, and slipping the w"udeu
bar let the poor creature in. TIL" cry
open door with startlim. distiurthcss
There Was Il ferocions ring about its cnii-
Guiding echo that caused Trh to slam tn
and rcbar the door with prc"ipitntc eager.
ness.
His prccautinn was timely, for in a mii,-
ute stcalthy unhunan footsteps were .,u
lilc without then came fierce brc;thineS
ut the walls and at last Il hrayy scratch i
ing sound, whlo the dog. that l:, n, first /
raised his bristlrs with low gruwl- now /
skunk under the bed with IN i.,,uniniuu4 /,
whine. II realized the danger hat ulcii.lr.
ed them. and Tcb. with rising irnr>,
thought Of the widest tales ri ,arn.r
beasts he had ever heard, and wished vain
ly iur !; rifle
What is hit. Tcb.' whispered Mag, who
had walked up.
~, 'nters or mcIl'c 'ea"s, pu"th Trh.
rs though the yard WAS thr"n.rd with
them. II wish w"'lirs had l'ars old rifle.
The animal after smiling ut thc door, /,
l".nn slowly rrclins round the cabin. Th"
fire had burned low. and Tri,. i"ariul oi
the strength "i the lug. rro,icil". near llrr !
bed. where Ma. lay shiv"iin. with n,,prr ,
hcnsion. The minutes passed. and 'hcr"
came no signs more alnrmims, 1" dnlc,l
gently hut was reused hy an exclamation
from his sister. who s;lid.
"Oh, Tub. Svnuthin air :, pullin oil
the kivcr.
Tcb stuck II pine splinter in the ctmbrrs, /
and us it hlaHcd up advanced towards tii. /,
bed. Mag WAS un the side iarthrst from
the wall. and by the alnin. light they saw
il huge. yellow paw thrust bet we.n IL wider
chink uf the logs. with its claw, bnrrd III
the ras.c'! quilt. Though alarmed M AMI
unknown danger, II glimpse OF IT'S c>nr, u;.-
turc nervcd the youth. II" looked ;,h1nt
hastily inr II weapon. The itlniy sl,iumIt.,
wheel stood wl,rc the m"tlcl unl. the
ii h,,ii, had
Jean, sl,u INTENDED tn weave.
Hardly knowing what he di;l Trb In,!ci
ont tn" long Ii nd post with its trans Vvr>.:
sl,in'ic attached, AMI rai>in. il brought
it down with all hi. strength. Tin sharp
steel point pierced Through the crraturrS
lcs and int" the 10. beneath. With IL
snarl of rage and pain i. strovc I" with,
drnw It's foot. hu, the upper lo., catching
the head post, prevented it.
Tcb s;tw his opportunity. and scilin. II
hammer that lay in Il crack. lie drove with
frantic strokes, tn" spindle deep down III
To tho log, while at every blow The beast
without gruwlcd and whlnrh alternately.
Mag, with claspcd huud- -lirli,rin.'y
watched her brother, until she saw ,ba,
the brute could not release Itself, When she
burst into tears cN,llinin..
"liow Kin wruus sleep. Trh. ui that
| thar ic., :, StIGkin thruu nd hit hii To- he
kivrr, too.
Eat she did sleep nevertheless. nutmiilr
! stauiin. the ,lulur"its whues aud mi. ..
| miltcut .ruwl, that kept lob wide t"nN"
| thereafter and kcrns alivr To the iv,'.i.ar
| peril ui their situation. The do. ,riAln
| cd cumca and silent
Morning III length ,a,lr. and fc'' ann
| Ing himself with the .tAr, went ont t" N''w
| his imprisoned i,r. He found, J." eN-
| pcctcd. II larc, panther rl'nslu. tu ,sn side
! Of ,hr house, III. lu.s Of which we're deeply
SCARED by ills o.a"s in futile elorts TO re.
lease itself.
| II WAS >til furious, ,hnush much wear
| ir.i and II. eyes wcrr .t.larc with yolluwish
| dame He dared not approach close
enough Ia use the axe, :" "ferucIou> WAS it's
ASPECT, and so violent lts lun..' nj tho