Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1892-09-08
DOG AND coU1Aa IN A F,eH1.
A Mail Carriers Canine CompanioA
Makes q Good Show Against Odds.


Jim McMahon. who carries the mail
into Vance, was riding leisurely along
the trail with the mail pouch sfung over
his horses back, and his dog, a big,
courageous animal, brinful of fight,
and ready to tackle anything from a
mouse to bear, was trotting ahead OF
the horse, occasionally making short
excursions into the forest through
which the roads winds on the trail OF
some wild animal.
Suddenly, after having made dash
through the brush. the dog came tear
ing out into tho road, uttering savage
and fierce barks, his hair bristling and
evincing unmistakable signs of terror.
Jim ut once surmised that the cause OF
the dogs retreat must have been due
to an apparition of some unusually
large wild animal
Squirting his horse he rode up to the
point where the dog was still growing,
and encouraged the animal to attack
the unseen cause of the commotion.
The dog responded by n fierce rush into
tho brush, and in n few minutes ap.
pearcd near the road in savage con-
aict with large cougar. After a short,
derce round both went down, the dog
on top. His master knew, however,
by his screams and growls that the dog
was not having the fight all his own
way.
The cougar had lenped and fastened
his cleaning fangs on the dogs head,
while his hind feet, with sharp claws,
were tearing into the dogs side, and
werv making the hair and the blood
fly. The horse, which had now seen
the wild animal, was plunging and
rearing in terror. Jumping from his
saddle, jim drew his revolver and went
to the dogs rescue.
Cougar and dog were rolling around
and round, now one on top and then
the other, and moving so swiftly it was
hard to distinguish them. They were
all tangled up in maze of hair, blood
and blood curdling yelps and screams
Ji,r wanted to kill the cougar, but
didn't want to kill the dog. So he
waited for an opportunity, and then,
raising his big revolver, pulled the trig'
ger, but the gun missed fire. Again he
aimed and pulled, with the same result.
In nis excitement he had forgotten that
several of the chambers of the pistol
were empty. Luckily for man and dog
the cougar at this time released his
hold on the dog and sprang into the
brush and disappeared. Remountng
and whipping up his horse, Jim rode off
with the dog to safer place. An ex-
animation of the faithful animals in
iurics revealed the fact that ono of its
eyes had been gouged out, the side of
its head lacerated and its neck and
body badly cut and torn by the fangs
and claws of the cougar.
Nugget.
Why Shocmakers Demand Deposits.
'If We didn't secure a deposit with
orders" said custom shoemaker while
trying to explain why it was that some
thing OH account" was needed, I'VE
should soon have to start mistit parlors
on our own account. 1t is not that
gentlemen deliberately order shoes
without intending to call for them, but
it is certain thing that quite large
number of measurements are taken,
shoes made, and then never asked for
When deposit has been left, there is
of course less danger of this and if the
shoes are not called for we can be sure
of prompt sale at a price high enough
to secure us from loss.
''Then there is another trouble about
this business. Almost every one who
comes wants his order filed by given
date, generally very near one, but
half the time week or more elapses
before the shoes are called for. This
naturally encourages IL habit OF procras-
tination on our part, and unless this is
carefully checked delays and disap-
pointncnts would be very general in
deed. Nearly all custom work is done
out by slloelllakers at their own homes,
and these men are far more autocratlc
and Independent than we dare to he"
st. Louis Star Sayings.