Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1895-11-07

his pocket. There being no response,
he thrust his head in and looked quick
ly about, then exclaimed: "Why, Aunt
Polly, Peggy amt here!"
| ''Well, then, she must have followed
me to the spring and got lost. She was
here when started for water, an /
'sposed she was in there sleepin'. I'll
run to the spring an see if she is there"
''I'll go down the road an look for her
| in that direction exclaimed Tommy,
| snatching up his gun and speeding
away.
"Peggy!" called Mrs. Raines, as she
reached the spring. where are you,
child?" The voice Of the anxious wom-
an came back in hollow echo.
Brother John would never forgive me
If anything should happen to Peggy"
she soliloquized. Peggy" she called
again, but there was no reply save the
chirping of the birds which were seek
ing shelter for the night.
In the meantime Tommy had reached
tho road and was scanning it for some
sign of the absent sister. He clutched
his rifle tightly and shot glance down
the road as his eye caught sight of a
footprint. ''She has started to go to
grandma's Alone" exclaimed the excit-
ell brother. ooh, If / could only reach
her before she falls over cliff and kills
herself, or is devoured by wild beast!"
Away Tommy ran like the wind, Dig
ging his stout toes into the yielding
earth at every step. Once he paused to
listen and then went on. eff can only
overtake her before she reaches the big
bridget If she gets there she'll be sure
to climb up on the railing to look over
and fall off,"
The panther crouched still lower as it
dragged itself toward the sleeping child,
unsheathing and sheathing it's sharp
claws in it's anxiety to be upon it's limo
cent prey.
Once the beast was about to spring
when the breeze swayed the bridge a
trihe more than usual and grating
so'1nd, unfamiliar to the panther, was
carried along the cables after the man.
ner Of telephone and reached the ear
of the wary animal. It was such a
strange sound that the panther, being
cautious about advancing onto the
bridge at any rate bounded back a few
yards to await Developments. A second
and a third time it advanced, when the
same sound sent it bounding off the
bridge. Itwas afraid of some trick, and
finally stood erect at the end of the
bridge and looked longingly toward the
sleeping Peggy.
At that moment Tommy came noise
lessly around a turn in the road and
saw the panther, which was intently
gazing toward the middle of the bridge.
Naturally his eyes followed the course
in which the panther was looking, and
he beheld Peggy. The gathering gloom
was SO thick that he was unable to tell
whether or not she was alive, but his
only thought was to secure her. He
dropped on one knee, and just as the
panther again started onto the bridge,
there was a fash, a deafening roar and
piercing scream from the panther, as
1t leaped into the air and disappeared
over the side of the bridge into the
gorge below.
Peggy awoke with start and Hsped:
Use doin' ter dramma's now.' A mo-
ment later she was clasped in the arms
OF her thankful and brave hearted
brother, who fastened home with her
to the great relief OF the aunt who was
almost beside herself with grief. After.
supper when Peggy was put in her little
trundle bed. she whispered: "Peggy's
SO sleepy, but she's dom ter dramma's.''
Tho next day the body Of the panther
was drawn up to the bridge by means
Of ropes in the hands Of the neighbor-
Ing naointaineers, when II was found
that Tommy's bullet had not touched a
vital spot, but that the wound and the:
great fall to the rocky river bed had to-
gether killed the beast. It was among
the largest ever slain IN that locality.
Tommy was q hero.
Peggy Is . woman now and does not;