The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-02-24
A LIGHTNING SHOT.

lieu Ou your IuOtlOu lOuS Enough. iIi'tSt
have this land for a heeppasture. You
understand
Yes, Caleb Rawson and his mother III.
derstood.
twas hard to bedriven from the home
they had occupied several years ard
which Nathan Rawson had believed lis
when he died but a few months before.
His last words were. 81 am thankful
that / leave you a comfortable home,
Mary, you and Caleb
He had passed into the beyond with
this belief. and now the rich cattle king,
Silas Gudgeon, whose vast estate joined
theirs on the west, had found a flaw in
Rawson's title and had secured the land
and ordered the widow and her son to
get off the place.
II want no more fooling, Mrs. Raw
son." declared the cattle king as he
turned to leave the room. eff you and
this impudent boy Of yours aren't out
side of here inside of "a hours, my men
will throw you out, neck and heels"
And then the hard money getter strobe
from the room, leaving the widow in
tears, and Caleb white with righteous
anger.
"The mean old skinfint!" exclaimed
the boy. IL could kill him."
"Hush, my son." uttered the mother
in a shocked voice, ''you must not feel
like that. It is as bad as murder"
81 can't help it," rejoined the boy.
This is our home, that we have enjoyed
for three years. Over there father lies.
and-and"-
The lads emotions overcame him. and
he rushed from the room.
In the next apartment he snatched a
rifle from the hooks and went forth into
the sunlight. an awful whiteness on his
face.
Yes, | could kill him for robbing my
mother. He is rich and has no right to
covet our little home. Mother, ! will
save you if l die for it," and the re-
vengeful boy hurried in pursuit of the
cattle king.
In the meantime the object of so much
bitter feeling made his way along a
wagon road that led through a ravine
toward his OWL home a mile distant.
The cattle king had long coveted the
rich quarter section or which the elder
Rawson had squatted, and soon after
the settlers death Gudgeon began plot
ting to secure the land. By the aid of
a constituencies lawyer the rich man
discovered a flaw in the Rawson papers,
and in a little while had secured a title
to the land.
Gudgeon vas chuckling to himself
over the situation when he was brought
to a sudden halt by a peculiar sound.
cts the panther" exclaimed the cat.
tie king, recoiling as he caught sight Of
a pair of %glittering eyes fixed upon him
from above his position in the narrow
ravine.
On a jutting rock, almost hidden by d
dense growth of vines and bushes, not
10 feet from his position, crouched that
terror Of the west-a mountain panther.
One growl from the %ferocious beast
was enough to halt the land king.
He realized that he had gone too far to
retreat.
Truly death stared him in the face.
The animal was crouched ready for a
spring. Gudgeon had nc weapon, fol-
which he cursed himself at this moment.
For n terrible second Silas Gudgeon
watched the flaming eyes and glittering
teeth of the forest monster. His face
blanched, his knees knocked together.
and he felt that he vas dying.
Only one brief second!
Then the panther dashed upon his
prey!
Even as the animal gathered itself for
a spring the whiplike crack of a rifle
rang out. The next instant man and
beast rolled on the ground.
The panther rolled from his intended
victim in dying agonies.
A bullet had pierced its heart.
A boy, bearing a smoking rifle in his
hand, ran swiftly down the ravine and
gave the panther a second shot, which
quoted its struggles.
Then the boy turned to Mr.. Gudgeon,
who still lay upon the ground, insensible
and bleeding.
Going to a spring near at hand, the
lad, using his hat for a basin, brought
water and dashed it into the insensible
mans face. This had the desired effect,
and Mr.. Gudgeon, who had tainted from
fright, was able to stand on his feet once
more.
"The panther" gasped the cattle king.
gazing shudderingly about him.
"There he is" said the lad, pointing to
the dead animal.
"Dead?"
dead as he can be, sir" answered Ca
leb Rawson.
Noticing the gun in the hand of the
boy, Mr.. Gudgeon understood how his
life had been saved. Putting out his
hand he said:
"You saved my life, Caleb Rawson. l
thank you. I'll give $40 for the panther's
hide if you will bring it to me at the
ranch"
And then the great cattle king Istrode
away.
Tears of indignation and anger filled
and blinded the eyes Of the young home
steader.
Gas mean as ever!" exclaimed Caleb.