Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-03-13

as If he d been ridden over by adragoon
but, to our amazement, the cheetah, In
stead of stopping to mangle him, went of
at top speed into the bushes, and disap
peared. And stranger still, the man him
self. though he had got a terrible cash
across the shoulder, was able to stand up,
and even walk off the grounds with little
support from us.
Tt, however, was inconsolable al
the loss of his cheetuh He vowed that be
had hit 1t fair, that it couldn't have gone
far with such hurt, and that have it he
would, If he beat the whole country fol
ten miles round And so we trudged home
again.
Late that evening my host and | were
| sitting on the verandah, talking over the
day work, and the ladies had gone in to
see about the coffee (which | rather re-
GREETED, for | liked to see Miss Sophy's
fright eyes sparkle at the account of ou1
sport, even though ! had had such small
share in myself, when one of rs syces
(grooms) came rushing up with his heels
higher than his head, and so out of breath
that all he could get out was oh, Sahibl
But he kept pointing to the corner of the
compound, and we saw at once that
there was something wrong. | jumped ur
and got hold of my pistols flor, like all
grlffins, | was constantly on the lookout
to pot something. T, whose mind
always ran upon snakes when there was
any alarm In the household, seized big
stick and out we rushed.
There was no need TO ask which way
we should go; for at that moment there be-
gan such a bleatlng, believing, mewing,
squeaklng and yelping-as if the beasts in
the ark had fallen foul of each other at
once; and, moreover, all this rumpus
seemed to proceed from the cow-shed.
eve ran towards it as hard as we could
tear, but before we reached it there went
up suddenly.a horrid shrill squat, which
there was no mistaking
"A cheetah, by Jove!' shouted T;
but where on earth can the brute be, then ?
Hullol Why, I'll be hanged if it isn't in
the she'd!
in the shed it was, sure enough, and
evidently having hard fight of it, too; for
we could hear its crys mingling with the
snortlng and believing of the cow, and the
scutf1lng of hoofs and paws, as the two
thumped and banged about inside. l
rushed to the window-hole in hopes of a
shot; but the place was pitch-dark, and
strain my eyes as | might, all that | could
see was a confused whirl of shadows, and
the cheetah's fiery eyes glancing about in
the middle of it.
However, l could make out one thing
well enough, and that was that Master
Cheetah was getting decidedly the worst
of it. His cries grew shriller and more
distressed every minute, as though he had
got something that he did not like; and
every now and then there came a thump
and a scrUnch against the planking, that
made it tremble fromtop to bottom. Horns
or no horns, the old lady was evidently
giving him as good as he brought, and
somewhat over, and my assurances on
this score somewhat tranquilized my friend
+, who had been in great tribulation
at the thought of his daughters favorite
being slaughtered in this way before his
very eyes.
Just at that moment, two or three of
the servants came running up with lights,
and then I did see a sight, and no mis-
take
1.-The poor little calf was crouching in
a corner, bleating piteously, and half dead
with fright The cheetah was huddled up
on the other side, evidently quite done up
in the last round, with his great mouth
open in horrid gasp, and his ugly fangs
showing white and gruesome in the torch
light; while over him stood the COW, with
her head drawn back wickedly making
ready to give him a settler But before
she could strike, took good aim at his
head with my pistol, and shot him dead on
the spot.
''1t was no easy matter to get hold of the
carcass, for the COW was quite wild, and
did not know friend from foe However,
we did get him logged out at last, and the
moment + set eyes on him, he gave a
shout that made the whole place echo.
That is my cheetah, by Jove! he ex-
claimed, here's the very place where hit
him in the side; and the yellow star on his
forehead which | noticed when | was TAX
ing aim the second time. So he has come
to me himself, instead of giving me the
bother of going after him! Well, this is a
lark, and no mistake!'
''You may imagine how the ladies re-
joiced over our victory; and, despite my
modest disclaimers, nothing would per-
suade Miss Sophy that / had not killed the
cheetah single-handed, to rescue her
favorlte. Her father, who was fond of a
joke, kept up the notion, and-and, in
short, the affair paved the way for her as
suming that position which Gas testimon-
ial addresses say she now so worthily
holds All, Sophy, my dear, here you
are! I've just been telling K about
that cheetah business in Ceylon. = Cas-
sells.