Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1890-01-03

lher with It's teeth picked him up by
the folds OF his skirts and shook him.
Holding tho child in this manner for a
moment the brute laid him down on
the ground and began 10 poke him
about with its paw, and turned him
over till his wide-opcn eye, stared up
Mt II. Then It stood up on It's hind
legs jumped to one side. and with its
head over its shoulder trotted TO tho
edgo OF the bushes and crouchcd down
with its eycs on the boy. while Its tall
lashed back and forth, shaking the
bushes zgrt
The child terred slowly over du his
breast and rcacbing out first one hand,
then The other. began to pull himself
,oward tho Brush on tho opposite side.
Ia piiiful attempt TO escape the fate
that had overtakon him. Tho panther
started as II TO leap upon him; then
It settled back upon It's launches, Its
hair erect and quiycring as II prepared
for another spring. Breathlcss with
agony as ho saw the movements of the
child and lis assnilant. Tom waited no
longer. but with hoarse cry ran
straight at the panther.
Taken wholly by surprise, tho brute
! flattencd baclf It's oars and opened Its
mouth MS II about to spring on the In
truder; rs it did so, Tom rammed tho
| fshing-rod. his only weapon, into the
open mouth OF the panther. Then run
ming to tho child. he picked 1t up and
| threw it over his shoulder on TO his
back.
lie had been reckless OF danger up to
that moment, but now no became wild
with fear. Expecting each moment TO
feel tho brutc's claws in his back, he
started for tho roadway. running as
we'll as ho could. Had he looked be-
hind him ho would have seen that his
assault had so frightened the panther
that on freeing It's throat OF the fishing
rod 1t had run of across the brook Blu,
Tom did not know that With tho
arms OF the child about his neck, and
its check on his shoulder, ho hurried
along. IIo soon dropped into q dog
trot, and did not stop or look back until
he reached tho Wallace dooryard. Mrs
Wallace stood before tho door. Stag
goring as II about to fall Tom stopped
before her.
II savcd--saved Benny for you," he
said, brcathlcssly. ''The panther had
him. but got him away somehow"
Knccling down he began to take the
child from his back. Mrs Wallace
stared with open mouth md turned to-
ward tho house door, Benny, who had
| como from within 10 SEQ what .wnsgo-
ing on, stood there rcd-chcelsed. and
smiling. Tom stw and followed her
glance. Slowly. like one feeling his
way in tho dark. he drew tho child
frcni his buck and gavo 1t ono look.
"Why, it's--it So. ho sud, md fcll
fainting. He had saved his own
brother Willie whom ho had thought
TO savo the life OF child OF one who
had dono him wrong
Thc'child was not seriously hurt, nor
did Tom sustain any injury from his
nervous shock and long run. But the
father and mother were so horriled by
tho adventure that within a week they
moved away. The fishing-rod, badly
broken. and the bnsket Of fish wore re-
covered by Wallace. Who wnl not SC
boorish us to bounablc to appreciate
what Tom had done, but Mr.. Lamber-
son would look at neither
Throo days later a guido over on
. Moose river shot and killed a panther
as it Tapped tho water from the stream
near the natural dam. Its throat was
badly bruised IN one place and the an
imul was doubtless tho ono that had
hlickcl tho blood from The trail of Mr.,
IAinberson's child. john r. Spears, IL
.'IYoutif ,Companion.