The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-17
A CLOSE CALL.

WHO was sewing one OF lH0 many maps u
his saddle with painstaking earnestness.
Dan looked up, all interest at once.
''You're sure they are not the tracks OF
COW or horse?'' he asked, as he prepared to
accompany the excited news bringer.
ooh, yes, would know those kind OF
tracks. These are very different said
Dora breathlessly.
That's Il panther's track, " said Dan,
after carefully examining the fOotmarks
in the soft sand "He must have come
down from the bluff for water. You know
all the water holes above US are drying
up"
Dora looked up at the great bluff which
ross like an enormous wall, Steep dark
and forbidding, on the opposite of the mar
row river, and shuddered. There was only
one trail which led down from the top OF
the bluff. The children knew that trail
well. The rocks on both sides of it were
covered with quaint hieroglyphics which
the Indians had painted on them. Dan
used to climb it when he went to hunt the
horses and they both loved to look from
the top of the lofty eminence far, far away
over the great divide
Giles Harris, the children's father, was
off on a round up miles away, and was not
expected home for days. They were living
the frontier and Mr.. Harris had not yet
| built a house, nor were there any neigh
bors within many miles.
Dora had great faith in her mothers
/ protecting pegver, and it was only after
! Mrs. Harris had pronounced the peculiar
tracks to DO those of a panther that the
! child losts1ler courage and burst into tears.
| "Oh, L wish father would come,'' she sob
| bed, and her mother echoed the wish, for
/ their situation was indeed grave one.
Dan was 2 years old, and being man
! ~ little fellow might havo shot the beast
| had he had anything to shoot with, but
! for the pistol his father had left for him.
They We're at q great distance from any
other camp, and the canvas walls of their
tent would afford bat poor protection from
a savage beast. Knowing the habits of
animals, Mrs Harris knew that the PAN
Their was likely to come down for water
again that night at the Same hour at which
he descended before. There was nothing
to DO done bat to make what slight prep
aration they could to keep off their dread
cd visitor.
The children gathered all the wood they
could in order to keep up a big fire all
that night. It was decided to turn out a
| calf from the little calf pen at nightfall
Perhaps, as il was young and tender, the
brute would be satisfied and not come
! provlng closer to the tent, which was not
even protected by 4 rude fence from any
thing which chose to approach it. Dan
/ venturcd q little way up q trail and dis
covered some bones of what appeared to
have been 4 sheep, and the fact that the
panther had devoured this sheep doubtless
explained why he did not disturb them the
! previous night.
The night wore on; the old silver watch
told that it was q quarter past midnight.
Suddenly q loose rock rolled from the high
bluff and fell with sullen splash into the
water below.
''Oh, mother said Dora, hiding her
face, lis he coming?"
Il don't think So darling,'' replied her
mother soothingly, but even as she spoke
in the intense stiffness the slow measured
tread of a heavy body coming down the
rocky trail confirmed their fears.
In their dread they could almost feel the
fangs of the cruel brute, and for a mo-
ment the delicate woman nearly tainted
with terror. Then she reused herself and
silently pointed to the pile of wood. Dora
rose and flung on three or four more pieces
OF dry cedar. For moment the fresh fuel
dulled the blaze, then, as the boy poked
and turned the burning pieces, the flame
flashed up with fresh vigor.
They distinctly heard the creature jump
down tho last steps of the descent, and
now he was coming across the nearly dry
ridge of rocks leading through the water
to that sido Of the river. He would pause
TO drink at the favorite watering place;
after that-What?
1t seemed almost that they could hear
him drinking After his thirst was ap-
pcaSed he would seek to satisfy his hun
ger. Their only hopo was in the calf. If
he should get hold of that frst-but no.
He has come up from the waters edge and
instead of making his way toward the pen,
he is coming toward them.
They hear the loose rocks which strew
the ground slipping and crunching be-
meath his weight. Dora was too frightened
oil
feeling tho beating of that little heart so
near her own, thinking of little Dan striv-
ling SO hard to seem brave and manly, de-
termined, if death must come to one Of
them, to meet the great cat herself, rather
than see him deVoUr one of her darlings.
Nearer and nearer the creature comes.
They can see the outline Of his form even
in the darkness now, so close has ne ap-
preached to their circle of light.
Plainly enough from the surrounding
gloom two glowing eyes gaze at thon.
Tho panther stood still rs if waiting be-
fore he made his final spring. Dan seized
one of the largest. brightly blazing sticks
from the fire and brandished it over his
head, intending to fling it at the beast if he
moved a step farther There was an in
slant of breathless suspense which seemed
an eternity 10 the little group, then the
animal, apparently not liking the fire be
had inspected, uttered low growl of dis
content and turned off in the direction of
the calf pen. The party breathed freely as
he moved away, but shuddered as they
heard the stif1ed cry of the poor little calf
as the beast seized it in his clutches. Dan
piled on the wood, making the blaze
: brighter than ever before and, listening
iptently, they were at last assured by the
sounds of receding footballs that the pan
Their was retiring with his prey.
After an hour of intense anxiety they
heard him reascending the rocky trail.
and rightly judged that he would modest
them no more that night. Dora fell asleep
exhausted with terror, but Dan and his
mother burned their watch fire until its
light was dirmed in the rosy beams of the
dawning day. The sun S earliest rays fell
on n little band of horsenen approaching