Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-10
Yhe aahia Badly gap1e Saturday aorniug aupu To-

$500
cold with horrorI Then he began to scratch,
which was more than they could stand
'sTerror lent them invention, and mother
put me into basket Of old clothes, while she
| helped Susan drag heavy btdstead to the
head Of the stairs This bedsttad effectually
blocked the narrow stairway, and when they
| had piled chest Of drawers on top Of it they
once more felt secure.
"All this trouble was unneedad, however,
as that door, opening outward, was an liz
surmountable 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
| 60 crash on tho steps below. 9'he Indian
devil was getting out Of the window.
Now, the attic in which we had taker
refuge was lighted by two wihdows-a small
ons in the gable, locking out upon the BARI
yard, and the other, very small sky light,
reached by a sort Of fixed step ladder from
the attic floor.
GAS soon as mother heard the animals
claws on the side of the house she thought of
the skylight and. cried to Susan to 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 fair
/ ly flew up the ladder and pulled out the little
stick that supported the sash.
''She had barely got the hook slipped into
the staple when the panther's round head
and big, light eyes appeared within foot OF
hon. foo Eba cro r-ll chr-ial md
fell down the ladder.
"At this jundture to two women gave
themselves up forlost, and mother, Selling ar
old curtain pole whlc1 ay among the attic
timber, prepared to sell my infant life at g
pretty high igupe.
"All escape from the attic was blocked by
the articles they had so carefully wedged int
the stairway This it would take them some
time to clear.
'They never imagined that so fierce 6
brute as the panther could be stopped by al
ordinary sashtand glass, however strong
''But the Indian devil is wary, and this on,
was suspicious Of the glass When, on at
tempting to put his head down through the
skyIght, he met with an obstacle when he
/ did not see any, he thought be detected 6
trap
HE shifted all over each pane, stopping
every moment to eye us hungrlly. Then hs
scratched, but very gingerly, 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 pine, and his nose went through
the glass. Susan sank in q heap, while
mother, with deadly purpose, grasped bel
curtain pole, expecting instant attack
sit was not to be SO, however-for which
the world Is much to be congratulated The
panther cut his nose pretty severely on the
broken glass, and shrank back, snarling vi
ciously
HE was more than ever convinced that
the skyhght was trap, and he would not
trust his muzzls 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 q truly bril-
liant expedient
"'Get up, Susan she commanded, 'and
be some use. Go and light that lamp on your
washstand and bring it to me-
Susan obeyed with alacrity, cheered by
the thought that:there was anything left to
do. When the lamp was brought mother
laid the chimney aside and turned up the
wick SO as to give a faring, smoky blaze.
Then she handed the lamp back to Susan.
"'Taie it, she said, and set it on the top
of the ladder, right under the broken pane.
This was too much for poor Susan
"'Oh, I dasn't-neverp she whinpered,
backing hastily out of her mistress reach
Mother regarded her with whitening
scorn, then turned and looked at me, where
/ lay close behind Ter in the basket of old
clothes
Assuring herself that the panther could
not get me in her absence she seized the lamp
and marched up the ladder with it The pan.
Their growled most menacingly, and thrust
his face down to the opening, but as the
smoke and fame came under his nose, be
snarled and drew back
ION the very topmost step did mother de-
post the lamp, where 1t blazed right up
through the broken pane As she turned
down the ladder the panther's claws were
heard along the shingles, beating reluctant
retreat
'In moment or two he was heard on the
shed, and then mother opened the skylight,
reached out and clapped down the wooden
shutter. Susans courage revived
''Now that the danger was over, mother
picked me out of the basket and gathered ms
again to her bosom, While Susan began TO
speculate what the panther would be up to
next On this point she was not long left in
doubt.
"In the corner Of the barnyard was pig
pen, inhabited at the time by a pig three
months old. Presently the poor little pig set
upa terrific squealing, and mother and Susan
rushed TO the gable window.
AL ho,- 90 be-
manded a view Of the barn yard The pan
Their was on the roof Of the pen, peering
down through the cracks and scratching
vigorously to gain an entrance. Baby had
been denied him; but pork he was determined
to have.
THE pig squealed in a way that mother
trusted would alarm the neighborhood, and
tried 10 hide himself IN the straw from the
reach Of those pale, cruel eyes. At last the
panther quilted the roof and found the pen
door, Here he paused a moment or two, sus-
pecting another trap Then, finding nothing
suspicious, in he glided. There was one ter
rife squeal, and all was still
Il fancy mother and Susan both wept,
thinking how well the fate of poor piggie
might have been their own--and mine.
For long while the two women kept
watch at the window. At Inst the panther
reappeared, walking very lazily and licking
his chops He glanced at the house in good
natured fashion, as if he bore Us no grudge;
cleaned his great face with one paw. shifted
the air thoughtfuly in various directions,
and then made off toward the woods-and
we knew that our pig went with him
When he was well ont of sight mother
and Susan removed the barricades and for
s-nnl- tho All, N.nr, nay Ia sl,ca fhav fas-