Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-06


ribly sunburned, and each one Of Us had
smeared his face all over with vaseline There
we sat, smoking, drinking and arguing, while
the vaseline dripped from OF our shining coun-
tenances, until nearly o'clock in the morning.
Then we went to our rooms. But had hardly
begun to undress before a meaning sound was
borne to my ears from across the sea. Il FASH
toned itself after q moment into Q distinct, low
cry for help.
Helpr
yet, strange TO say, the sound was long and
drawing and there was no noise of splashing
"I am hurt. Hello-o-o! Hello-o-or came
the voice again.
II rushed out Of my room. Tom was there
before me and looks Of cold fear appeared
through the vaseline, for he too had heard the
sounds. We went for Harry, whose room was
at the other end of the house. He had heard
nothing. but he came with US, for we hastily
decided to take q boat and go to the rescue
room where We had been sitting. We heard It
again. lower than before, but more distinct
'Hello-o-o! Hello-o-o! I-am-being-
murderedr
1--WE hastily seized weapons. Tom grasped
an empty bottle on the table, Harry possessed
himself Of silver fork Che, strange to say, had
as yet heard nothing and picked up cork
screw. We rushed down to the sea. The moon
was shining brightly, the waves were lazily
licking the shore, there was not sign of life
anywhere, there was hardly . sound to be
heard.
care you sure it wasn't a cat, Toni? said
Harry.
"'Of course it wasn't. Ask Dick
And then we took q boat and although we
rowed all around the shore until daybreak,
near: Nor was any one ever able to account
for the singular call for help that came to us
from over the that night"
There was considerable discussion among the
members Of the CHASTITY Club over the ad-
instability of this story under the rules il
being held that it was either ghost story or a
dream, but the matter was finally arranged by
the offender promising to read Poe o Black Cat
for week in order to understand perfectly
what CHASTITY story should be like.
SQUEEZED THE PANTHER TO DEATH
The next person called upon for story was
heavily bearded western man, who had hith-
erto sat impassive, apparently unsatisfed with
the mildness of the narratives he had heard.
He began by saying in basso profundo that his
story vas about wild beasts. "Down in Texas. ~
he went on, where live. there are quantities
OF them--llOns. tigers, leopards, jaguars and
panthers. When 1 first went down there had
wife and three children. 1 am alone now.
When was absent from my cabin one dav a
mountain lion came along and ate up the whole
family; l found portions of them when
l shot him in his lair the NEXT day. am
going to tell you how near 1 came to being
devoured by huge panther q few DAYS later.
was riding along the woods about dusk I
was entirely unarmed. was making nv wav
at jog trot along the path. In few moments
l would be home and safe. Suddenly nv horse
stopped short, paralyzed with terror Hooked
around me and before me and behind me, but
l could see nothing. Then looked above me,
and two glittering eyeballs peered from
out the foliage of tree. The mar
row froze in my bones. for it was a
panther in the act of springing. / put the
spurs into my horse but he was TOO frightened
to move. Just then the panther sprang. am
man Of quick resolution and determined in
flash what would do. The huge brute landed
squarely OH my bead. am pretty good ath-
lete and in an instant, while he chung to me,
turned myself upside down and stood upon my
head in the saddle Grasping the two sides Of
the girths with my hands had the panther be-
tween my head and the saddle and 1 squeezed
him to death. was little scratched about
the face and strained my horses back: other
wise there was no damage done-except to the
panther"
This is a mere sample meeting of the CHASTITY
Club and one of their midest The nights upon
which the members distinguish themselves
stories are told which are too terrible to print.
few days ago they had picnic and, after
visiting the hospitals, they had a pleasant time
sitting In the morgue.