Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-04-22

Up the Furrow.

! OP biC W S"'
The half-breed and ! had been away
/ from camp for several hours. leaving
/ only Sam. the cOlored man, there, and
were returning by the mountain trail
/ The last bend in this trail was seventy
or eighty rods to the west OF our
camp and 200 feet above it, and we
7 instinctively paused for look.
/ There were the TWO tents, the
horses and mules picketed beyond.
smouldpring camp fire, the negro ly-
/ ing on the broad Of his back with his
| head toward us. 1t was o'clock in
/ the afternoon Of summers day.
/ Sam was apparently doing. for II
/ seemed an effort for him 10 raise n
F hand 70 brush away the flies which
persisted i'm settling on his face. We
were about to 90 on, when Joe sud
denly caught his breath and grasppd
nv arm and pointed 10 a spot ahont
/ half way between the base OF the hluH
/ and the camp. There was n sorl OF
natural drain or furrow running
/ along the earth. deepening in our di-
rectiOn. and here and there was a
! bunch Of weeds 10 prove IA little damp
ness. The grass was greener. too.
but not high enough to shelter rab-
/ bit.
1t was half minute before | could
make out the cause OF Joe's alarm.
/ Then my eyes rested on full grown
mountain lion. working his way up
that furrow. He had already ac
complished half the distance and just
at that moment Fitted himself almost
erect to take a peep at the negro.
Let Us cry out and warn him" |
whispered.
1T is too late" replied Joe
should he get up the beast could be
upon him in n flash -
Then shoot"
1T is too far"
You have seen hunter stalking
game. but here was fierce and
hungry wild beast stalking defense
/ less man. The scene was a. plains aud
clear before us "a il the distance was
only a stones throw. After the first
| few words We were silent. After the
/ first move TO use our rifles We simply
waited We certainly intended TO do
something; but-wait soc.
1t was sight ever TO he rem"m-
bered to watch that lion making his
way up the furrow. He advanced
foot by foot. lie hattened out until
YOU would have thought him II skin
spread out to be cured, and he dragged
himself along the earth. You knew
lie moved, but You saw no motion ex-
cept that OF his tail Moving ahead
or living quiet. the tail switched back
and forth with scarcely seconds in
terval. About every minute one OF
the negro's hands was lazily raised
and waved across his face. When
this happened the lion, who could
plainly see the black paw sweep the
air, settled down as if to spring. In
the intervals he crept forward.
We stood there like men Of stone
and saw the distance decrease foot bv
! foot. The lion had yet a hundred
feet to creep when my mustang, feed
! ing at least 300 feet from the other
edge Of the camp, raised his head aud
shifted the air. The scent Of the lion
! had come down TO him. He must
! have seen us. as we stood out in plain
view, but he did not whinny. as both
| Of us feared ha would. Half a minute
later Joe's pony also got the scent
and started off at a fast walk. Ihe
/ lion remained aS quiet aS If dead Tor a
I full minute, waiting TO see II the
/ movement Of the horse would arouse
/ the man. 1t did not. Sam had
grown more drowsy, and his hand
was raised at longer intervals. Now
| the tufted tail waves TO and fro again,
| and now the distance j. again de
creased. Foot by foot. aud | have
/ forgotten everything else on ear h IN
watching the progress. Now it Is
/ sixty feet-now iifty-now forty-now
/ the lion has settled down for leap
+ which will land him on the BODY OF
/ the sleeping man, when | hear the
crack Of rife, see the beast rear up
/ and fall back ward and struggle, and
| sit down with shaking knees and
palpitating heart. II was Joe who
/ fired the shot from his old fashioned
/ long. .bnrrelrd rife. He had only the
faintest hope, but it was dead shot,
the bullet entering the back Of the
| head.
The beast died hard His limbs
were yet twitching a. we reached the
/ spot. Never had a hunter in the west
seen a larger lion. He had the
strength 70 pull down buffalo bull.
The negro? We found him sound
asleep. Of course.
How it Will Pay.
/ The 81. Louis Republic has been at