The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-07-14


peared and walked up To the child.
The beasts breath tanning her deli
cate checks awoke the baby. She
opened her eyes and looked into the
cruel yellow ones above her. The little
thing was not frightened, as she did
not know there was anything to DO
frightened at in this world. Baby
thought the animal was very pretty
and put out her hand and pattcd it on
the head. at the same time lisping:
Pussy. pretty pussy" This had PEE
culiar effect on the wildcat. for the
creature sat down quietly while baby
got out of her bed and came and SAT-
down beside it. The child thought II had
found splendid play mate and was
soon cuddling up close to the treacher-
| Gus animal.
The cat liked it and began licking
baby's face. The child was filled with
joy and commenced to play. Very soon
both were rolling over and over on the
ground, having a splendid time. The
wildcat seemed to enjoy the sport and
both we're perfectly happy.
The child crowed. laughed and
shricked with happiness, and soon at
tracted its mothers attention. She
came to the door and took in the situa-
ton at a glance. but did not stop to
think of what was best to do. She saw
the child was not being hurt, but did
| not know how soon il would be, so she
rushed out TO pick it up and carry it into
the house.
But the wildcat objected to this and
stood in front of the baby while the
latter was playfully pulling its tail.
But Mrs. Edwards rushed on, deter
mined to have her child. When she got
close the beast jumped for her throat.
but missed it and buried its teeth and
claws in her shoulder.
Baby thought it was fun and laughed
louder and louder. The pain and flow
ing blood caused the mother to fall
to the ground. and then the wildcat
returned to continue its romp with the
child.
1t was all the woman could do to
crawl into the house for the purpose of
getting gun. but when she got there
she found she could not reach the place
where it was hanging and was too
weak 10 get on chair. There was no
use in thinking of the gun question. SO
she took large butcher knife. intend
ing to fight the beast to the death.
When she got outside again and saw
the two still playing together she
thought she would call the child and
then wondered why she had not done it
in the first place and saved herself the
wounds. But baby was having too
good time and wouldn't come. The
mother called and begged and told it
what terrible beast it was that she
was playing with, but the child
couldn't understand and called its
mother to come and take part in the
fun.
| Once or twice the mother went near,
but the beast was always ready, and
the woman's nerve felt shaky. She
knew that il she only wounded the
beast it would kill her, and then the
child would be doomed sure. After
mature consideration she concluded tc
sit near by and not make an attack un'
less the beast started to injure the
child. Her wounds were bleeding free
ly, and she was getting weaker every
moment Still she sat there ready to
fight the moment the wildcat showed
signs Of treating the child differently.
She sat thus nearly an hour. The
minutes seemed years, but at last a
wagon was heard coming up the road,
and the mother knew the child's father
would soon be home. Her little ex.
perience had taught her to be careful,
50 she went to the front Of the house
and before Mr.. Edwards got to the
doorstep she stopped him and told him
the story.
Hc got his rife and ran TO where the
child was. He found both lying down
on the ground apparently asleep. A
slight noise brought the wildcat to his
feet. and at the same time Mr.. Edwards
raised the rife TO his shoulder. II was
hard to get where there would be nc
danger Of hitting the child, and he sho'
as he had never shot before. and wher
he pulled the trigger bullet went into
the wildcats brain, and it rolled over
dead.
The baby realized that something
awful had happened to her friend ant
threw herself on the dead body ans
commenced TO cry, but in another in
slant She was pressed to her mother
J breast, while tears of JOY rained upol
J her face
: A California burro recently distin
guished himself in q more signal man
, ner than jackasses usually do. loco
motive ut Asphalt backed up switcl
track to pull out some cars loaded wit
wool. To do this the switch was IN
) locked and the bar thrown down
Along came a mild-cyed. inoffensiv
looking jackass-the cunning littl
things are all of that pattern-and be
gan to rub against the switch-bar, CON
mencing 1t one ear, then Gradual
aiding down TO the tail, then around o
the other side. evidently intending :
wind up by polishing on the other cal
Suddenly the engine started, whe
Master Jackass, Jr., deftly crawle
under the switch-bar, thereby lifting
Just enough TO throw the rail out 9
lock. Then when the engine struc
the Ioosencd rails they spread. an
there was the train, stranded traiE
load OF passengers, the force OF traiI