Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-07-06

might possibly attract the panther. Thus
he obtained also better chance to control
the others. By this time a second scream,
more defiant than the other, rang through
the woods.
This second scream came from behind
them over through the notch and was i'm
mediately answered by the first, making
the poor, trembling oxen fairly bound witE
fright, and this time sending them off OH
mad gallop. The teamsters instinctively
caught hold of yoke and horn. Young
Waldo shouted back to those in the sleds,
"Hold on for your lives!"
1t was an almost useless warning The
young men who had risen were thrown
among those who had not, their extended
guns dealing cruel blows as theyfell But
not q word of fear or complaint was uttered
by the hardy young settlers, and no sound
was heard for few minutes except Wal
dos and Eddy's shouts in their endeavors
to check the mad speed of their teams.
Yet it seemed to those in the sleds, as they
tossed and bounded from side to side,
catching and losing their hold upon the
stakes, that the next stump or stone must
certainly wreck them.
Even the panther was forgotten in their
nffortG to kern their nlaces. until the chase
was freshly announced by the united
screams of the panthers, now certainly
both behind them. That the oxen had
distanced them in their first mad run was
plain, but that gave the unfortunate straw
riders no hope of an ultimate escape, for
they could now count by the screams the
rapidly made jumps of their pursuers,
which were fast closing in upon them.
Waldo's team, though much winded,
was running fairly well, through his time
ly forethouglIt in turning loose his lead
ers, while Eddy, who had had barely time
to catch the horn of his near OK, had no
control over his leaders, which, in their
successive frights at each scream from the
panthers, bolted frightfully, adding to
their danger as well as lessening their
chances of escape by flight.
1t would seem that the dangers already
surrounding the party could not be in
creased, bur those in the last sled became
suddenly aware that Waldo's abandoned
leaders were in the road behind them.
| They recognized the danger Immediately
and tried, by flinging out their free arms
and shouting, to change the course of the
| pursuing oxen, but the poor terror blind
ed creatures plunged straight on, needing
nothing
There was no time to escape this new
danger had the occupants of the sled any
strength to do aught but hold on, and each
face turned toward the end of the sled
awaiting the crash of the galloping hoofs
upon the sled boards But when the shock
came it almost seemed that Providence in
terfered to save them, for only one OK
planted his feet over the end board, while
| fo1I ,fe hNrT n
head inside. where by q miracle they hung,
only to be savagely shaken off by the next
stump or stone
The continually nearing screams Of the
panthers showed that they were still in
hot pursuit, and there was regretful hope
in each mind that the poor oxen might
not be able to RISE thereby becoming a sac
rifce for the safety of the load of human
beings clinging to the sled.
Not so, for in moment just as q pan
thor sprang from tree across the road,
probably not 30 feet behind the sled, the
oxen were in the road again and madden
than ever with fright
Eddy, who had been obliged to look
ahead though compromising fully all
that had occurred behind, knew what the
others did not-that Waldo team must be
far ahead, for he had not heard nor seen
anything of him for long time and they
themselves were flying past the Boulder
spurs, with the three dangerous lodges less
than half mile beyond.
Turning his face back he shouted hoarse
", "For Gods sake, shoot the oxen an6
be quick about it, for we are nearing the
ledgesl"
Two shots instantly answered his com
mand, and in the short interval of partia
silence that ensued he heard two sounds
which, strong, brave man as he was, hi
never forgot and always remembered will
a sense of unforgiven cruelty. 1t was {
long, mournful "loo," pitiful petition
for help, as it were, from one Of the doom
ed oxen, and, ooh, see The poor thing i
dragging his mattel" in a sweet, girlisl
voice. But soon the poor fellow was lef
far behind and when they heard the mex
scream from the panthers an agonized bel
low followed, telling of the fate of the OK
en-.
For awhile all believed themselves FIRE
from the panthers, and the oxen whicl
were drawing them evidently shared thei
belief, for they showed signs of slackenini
speed, though 10 minutes before it hat
seemed as though nothing could save tn
party from being swept over the lodges,
carried upon them with such fearful speed
Now all began to hope that the team Nigh
be slowed up sufficiently to allow them t
Jump off. They began to take an interes
in young Eddy's efforts to stop his oxel
and even noticed that Waldo was not ahea
of them They saw that Eddy was redou
bling his efforts to slacken up, with a Wig
orous use of his thick goad upon the nose
of his oxen. The stick had not left hi
hand in all that terrible ride down tn
mountain. Then he shouted, "Get read
to jump when tell you, and jump to tn
upper side.
A few more cruelty vigorous blows
Then, jerking the head of his near o
sharply round, he cried, "JumpP' An
! with one wild shout the whole sled loa
landed in struggling mass in the deeI
soft snow.
Young Eddy, when he saw his sled emf
ty, let go his hold upon his oxen and fe
backward, through sheer exhaustion, BIT
, almost Immediately he sprang to his feC
again in horror. The worst danger the
had been in tonight was upon them, fC
either one of their former pursuers or a
entirely new conner, had uttered his bloc
l curdling scream just over their heads.
l They were in narrow opening only
few feet from the first ledge, where thel
Q was a sheer descent of go feet, with a Ri
of 90 feet of broken rock above then
= Nothing could save them now from an Ell