The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-11-14
ENRICHED BY YAPANTHER


bitrary as men are apt TO be when they |
acquire sudden riches In addition to
his gold he possessed rare treasure in
the person Of his daughter Bessie, rs
sweet seventeen-year-old maiden as
ever lived.
Pretty Bessie did not lack for lovers,
and quito as naturally the favored one
was the very one that her father object
ed to.
Clyde Brown was frank spoken, with
an honest, manly face, a true, loving
heart, and little else,
"Why, Elizabeth'-her father always
called her that when displeased-"how
can you forget that lge are descended
from the Randolfs OF Virginia. Just
little longer, daughter-a year or two at
the most--and we will go east and live
as other people do. Then my jewel may
find worthy setting"
81 want no one but Clyde, papa, pro-
tested Bessie tearfully.
But tears made no impression upon
the hard heart Of George Randolf
However, he condescended to give
conditional consent to their union-such
an absurd condition that people laughed
and shook their heads and Bessie's merry
face grew grave.
"When you can show the possession
of 800, 900 you can have her." he said
grimly, in answer to Clyde Brownies
manly petition. "Until then I'll hear
no more about it."
"You can never do it" sobbed Bessie
when they stood alone in the moonlight
by the road a few moments later, while
her father watched angrily from the
window. fortunes are wonderfully
made in these mines sometimes, but
none will fall to u.s."
"Don't be discouraged, my precious
Queen Bess," Clyde returned, with all a
lovers unreasoning fondness. "Only
trust in me through all and wait for me,
no matter what may happen. viii you
promise me that2'
"Indeed | will, dearestl You knew
that l would before you asked" she
murmured. "But do not try me too
much, for father is ms hard as a rock"
81 must go away for awhile, my dar-
ling. Somewhere in yonder endless
| chain Of mountains fortune Is waiting
for me. feel It'll know 1t as well as If
it were already in my grasp" he an
swered, in solemn earnestness.
"God grant that it may be So" she
added.
And then she walked slowly to the
house, to her fathers great relief,
The next morning Clyde left the town,
fully equipped for prospecting tour,
and quite alone excepting thethree large
dogs which followed sedat.ly at his
heels,
For some time the prize which he
sought eluded him, but it came to him
at last in q strange manner.
One day, after following the course of
a noisy, shallow stream into narrow
valley hemmed in by lofty mountains,
he camped at the foot Of a gigantic tree
near the water,
The dogs whined uneasily and shifted
at hole among the roots Of the tree,
but he called them away and went on
building a fire to cook supper from the
loose wood and branches around.
'Now that the fire is ready" he
mused aloud, 81 wonder if I'll find any
game hereabout,"
AS If in answer, half grown deel
came down to the stream on the opposite
bank not many rods away.
It stopped, with one foot appraised, and
looked at the dogs with startled eyes
but the next instant the report Of Clyde'I
rifle rang out, the deer leaped into the
air, sprang forward and fell into th,
stream, from which it was soon dragged
! by the dogs,
But the echoes made by the report had
not died out among the hills before en-
other sound aroused them again.
It was the scream Of an angry panther
from the mountain behind him, and 1
was instantly answered by another OIL
= the right, and yet another far down tn
valley on the left,
Clyde heaped the dry limbs upon tn
FIRE, and the dogs, usually as brave a
lions, whined piteously as they skulke'
close to his feet.
He waited in breathless anxiety 70
several minutes, but could hear nothinI
except the cracking of the fire, whicl
now threw a wide circle of light, and tn
night wind among the trees,
Soon, following a magnetism which h
could not account for, he fixed his gaz
i, upon a tall tree near the base of th
mountain and encountered the glare G
two fierce, yellow eyes.
A panther was crouching there upon
long limb, every nerve Of his body
, motion as he prepared for the fat'
spring.
To aim and fire at him was the In
pulse Of second, and the tawny brui
sprang outward with a snarl Of rage an
pain, and fell squarely into the fire.
J There was an unearthly shrek, a SINE
Of burning hair, shower of Goals an
lighted wood, then the brute stoo
wounded and blinded near the tree.
cat him, boysi at himl" cried Clyde,
And the dogs closed on him, bu
=. wounded as he was, he was more than
match for them.
He killed one and sent the others how
ing TO a safe distance before their mast
could surely aim the second bullet, whiS
< quieted him.
He was not an instant too soon, hoy
ever, for there came another terrif
scream, this time from the tree direct
over his head,
n "Tm ready for you nowp he crieI
= coolly sighting another panther direct
between the scintillating eyes.
Iy He fired and sprang aside, while Il
animal fell, struck the ground with
heavy thud, clawed the earth and O
convulsively for a few seconds and thu
lay quite still.
"This Is getting interesting" mutter
Clyde griInly eying the two huge, tawi
bodies, the dead dog and the skullil
n living ones, while ne threw fresh woI
= upon the scattered fire and peered
every direction.
Meow Meowl Sct-t-tI"
He turned sharply to seethe heads
two panther cubs thrust out Of the he
near the tree, their ears laid close
> thoir round heads and their eyes sWee
inn the scene in fierce inquiry.
!, Highest Of all in Leavening