Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1889-08-22
mlv Nwsuau Politics. Devoted Literature Local and General News
Mechanctvn Frederick County, Maryland, Thursday, Ags.22, 1885,

q
er called out, sharply:
Susan | Susan Come here and see
what sort of creature this is coming
through the groye.'
There was a frightened ring in my
mothers voice, which brought Susan
promptly to her side.
Just then the CREATURE which was
long, and low, and stealthy, reached the
garden fence. It mounted the fence
gracefully, and paused to look about.
With a Mortified gasp, mother cau't
me to her bosom and whispered:
It's tigerl'
'No'm,' cried susan, it amt no tiger,
but it's an Injun devil. which is pretty
nigh as bad. And she ran and slam
med down the window.
The noise attracted the brutes atten-
ton. He glanced our way, dropped to
the ground and crept stealthily t. the
house.
The attic!' cried mother, wildly
All the windows down stairs are wide
OPEN
4 need hardly assure you, boys, it
didn't take those two women and me
very long 20 get up stairs. As we reach
ed the top We heard crash In the par.
lor, and mother nearly squeezed ME to
death in her terror for me; but Susan
exclaimed, almost gleefully:
declare, if he amt got in the wrong
winder Parlor doors shut!
by this time we were on the attic
stairs, and the door at the foot Of the
stalrs-a solid, old fashioned, country
door-was safely bolted behind us.
THAT door was the only means Of &C.
cess to the attic, and on the head Of 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, Susan ? she queried.
Must a'been them dishes on the lit
tie table by the wlnder, ma am, respond
ed the girl.
And then we heard a clatter again,
as the beast in springing out Of the win.
dow knocked the fragments Of pottery
aside.
In few moments he found another
entrance. The soft pat, pat of his great
fury feet could be heard on the lower
stairs. He was evidently hungry and
much puzzled at our sudden disappear.
ance.
we could hear him shifting around
in and out of 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 prison.
ers ran cold with horror Then he be-
gan to scratch, which was more than
they could stand.
Terror lent them invention, and moth
er put me into a basket OF old clothes.
while she helped Susan drag heavy
bedstead to the head Of the stairs. This
bedstead effectually blocked the narrow
stairway, and when they had piled a
chest of drawers on top Of it they once
more felt secure.
All this trouble was unneeded, how
ever, as that door, opening outward, was
an insurmountable barrier to the pan
ther.
In few minutes he stole away, rest
lessly. Then we heard some flower
pots, which stood on the window edge
of the front bedroom, 60 crash on the
steps below. The Indian devil was get.
ting out Of the window.
Now, the attic in which we had tax.
en- refuge was lighted by two widows
a small one in the gable. looking out
upon the barnyard, and the other, a
very small sky light, reached by sort
of fixed step ladder from the attic lloor.
AS soon as mother heard the animals
claws on tho side of the house she tho't
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 break
Ing the glass.
This shutter was now thrown back
upon the roof, and the inner sash waa
raised few inches for the sake Of ven
tilation. Susan fairly few up ths lid
der a4d pulled out the little stick that
supported the sash.
She had barely got the hook slipped
into the staple when the panther'a
round head and big, light eyes appeared
within a foot of her face. She gave a
startling shrek and fell down tbs lad