Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-10-25

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door-was safely bolted behind us.
THAT door was the only means o.
access to the attic, and on the head o.
the stairs We all sat down TO take
breath. Then in mother the anxious
housewife began to reappear.'
What was that the horrid brute
broke in the parlor, SusanF she que
ried.
Must a'been them dishes on the
little table by the winder, ma'am, re
sponded the girl.
And then we heard a clatter again
as the beast in springing out of the
window knocked the fragment OF
pottery aside.
Ina few moments he found another
entrance The soft pat pat of his
great furry feet could be heard on
the lower stairs. He was evidently
hungry and much puzzled at our sud
den disappearance.
I'VE could hear him shifting around
in and out the bedrooms, and at last
that soft, persistent tread found its
way to the attic door.
How he did sniff about the bottom
of that door, till the blood of his pris
oners ran cold with horror! Then he
began to scratch, which was more
than they could stand.
Terror lent them inventions, and
mother put Inc into-a basket OF old
clothes, while she helped Susan drag
a heavy bedstead to the head of the
stairs. This bedstead effectually
blocked the narrow stairway and
when they had piled chest of draw,
ers on top of it they once more felt
secure.
"All this trouble was unneeded,
however as that door, opening out
ward was an unsurmountable barrier
to the panther.
In few minutes he stole away
restlessly. Then we heard some flower
pots, which stood on the window
ledge of the front bedroom, go crash
on the steps below The Indian devil
was getting out of the window below.
Now, the attic in which we had
taken refuge was lighted by two win
dows-a small one i'll the gable look
ing out into barn yard, and the other
a very small skylight, reached by a
sort of step ladder from the attic-foor.
LAS soon as mother heard the ami
mails claws on the side of the house
she thought of the skylight and cried
to Susan 30 shut it.
The skylight had an outer shutter
of wood, which was closed in winter
time to keep the heavy snowfall from
breaking the glass.
This shutter was now thrown back
upon the roof, and the inner sash was
raised few inches for the sake of
ventilation. Susan fairly flew up the
ladder and pulled out the little stick
that supported the sash.
"She had barely got the hook slip
ped into the staple when the panther 5
round head and big, light eyes ap-
peared within a foot of her face. She
gave startling shrek and fell down
the ladder.
"At this juncture the two women
gave themselves up for lost, and
mother seizing an old curtain pole
which lay among the attic timber,
prepared to sell my infant life at a
pretty high figure.
"All escape from the attic was
blocked by articles they had so care
fully wedged into the stairway. This
it would take them some time to
clear.
"They never imagined that so fer ce
brute as the panther could be stop
ped by an ordinary sash and glass
however strong.
But the Indian devil is wary, and
this one was suspicious Of the glass.
When on attempting to put his head
down through the skylight, he met
with an obstacle when he did not see
any, he thought he detected trap.
He shifted all over ca ch pane, stop
ping every moment to eye us hun
grily, at the sash, and only tore away
some splinters The sash was stout
and new.
"At last he thrust his muzzle over
roughly against the pane, and his
nose went through the glass. Susan
sank in heap, while mother, with
deadly purpose, grasped her curtain
pole expecting instant attack,
ut was not to be SO, however-for
which the world is much to be con
graduated. The panther cut his nose
pretty severely on the broken glass
and shrank back, snarling vicious
ly.
He was more than ever convinced
that the skylight was a trap and he
would not trust his muzzle again in
the opening.
observing the beasts caution,
mother plucked up new hope. She
remembered having read that lions
and tigers were afraid of fire, and
forthwith she hit on a truly brilliant
expedient.
Get up, Susan she commanded,
and be some use. Go and light that
lamp on your washstand and bring it
here When the lamp was brought
mother laid the chimney aside and
turned up the wick so as to give a
fiaring, smoky blaze. Then she hand
ed the lamp back to Susan
Take it, she said, and set it on
tba ton of the ladder. right under the