Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-04-21

veranda In front. partly incloscd by
lattice work and Towering vines, and
opening upon n garden with a lawn
and trees and shrubhpry. The screen
doors and windows Of tho house. nj
ways open 10 admit the air. were COW
cred with fine. strong wire netting
To keep out snakes ana noNlous AMI
mails. The door OF my room opened
directly upon the vcrauda, which to the
LETT was completely CLOSED 10y the trcllls.
Returning from peacock shooting one
evening l remembered just az | stepped
upon the veraudH that | had left tho
key to my wardrobe with my shooting
Jacket In the dog cart. aud. setting my
gun against the trcllis, | went back TO
get IT, Then | went to my bath and
dinner forgetting the gun.
AFTER our rubber OF dummy whilst
and tho regulation number OF brandy
ana sodRs ] retired 10 my room about
midnight The night WIS hot ana
was not sleepy. SO. after undressing
ana getting into my pujamas I OPEN
Cd the door aud went out upon the
vcrnndl tn smoke u chcroot Az / sat
there my eve fell on my fowllng piece
leaning against the lattice. and l be-
thought myself OF my carclcssneas In
leaving II exposed 10 the night dcws
outside. My hosts little cocker spaniel
made his bed ON n mat under my win-
dow, aud was lying almost directly be
hind my chair, 1 observed that he was
uneasy and once or twice gave low
whine HH ID OF apprehension l looked
around, but could see cause OF disturb
arCc, IL grew moro uneasy and again
looking round / saw him stealing along
toward the door OF my room, which,
opening outward, was aiar. leaving an
open space Just wide enough FOR him
20 pass He whlslScd through 1t into my
M.
something large ANA heavy struck upon
the verauda close beside me and bound
ed onward like n rubber ball against
the door banging II shut. Then / saw
"A great cat-lilSc animal clBmherlng and
struggling ngplnst the wire netting
which had stopped Il. The creatures
claws were caught In the steel mofhes,
but II tore loose and at slight ~. me
sprung down the verandn 20 escape
Here tho lattice work headed him
of. He could have broken through II
aH II II had been tissue paper but,
after his experience with the wire net
ting he did not seem Inclined TO make
the experiment. There was only ono
way open TO his escape, and that was
past or over me- Two or three times az
hu dartcd about trying TO find u hole
In the trollis he approached me. and
knew that n he decided TO come my
way II would be, not to pass by, but to
attack me, l could not get TO my room
without advancing upon the creature,
and TO turn my back to retreat would
have brought him upon me at once. II
was a trying situation for peaceful
man Ia pajamas and deeply felt the
seriousness Of Il,
I'm the suddounoas with which the
thing had come upon me | had not IN
my frat surprise thought OF my gun
being against the trcllls within my
reach. We had been using swan shot
IN our pcncock shooting, a Size almost
ns deadly as bucksh0t / caught up the
gun and throwing down the hrcCch saw
thot thore weru cartridge shells In the
barrels u cooked both barrels and
brought the piece TO my shoulder an tho
animal faced me- half way from the
end Of the veranda, and, orouched with
tail swinging, seemed ON the point OF
making dash at me. Sighting be-
tween his blazing eyes l pulled the
right-hand trigger
"Cllckl The hammer had fallen upon
an empty shell. The creature at the
sound, started half upright. then
crouched again. I sighted once more.
and pulled the loft-hand trigger.
'Crashl Tho birds nesting among
the wires flew out with startled cries
and on the yoranda almost at my feet
the animal was rolling and tumbling.
The fun charge OF heavy shot had
struck us forehead and shoulder, aud
Il had made one spring forward and
fallen. | dubbed my gun na stepped
back and stood ready, but there was
nothing more to do, The rSport OF the
gun arot sod the household whites ard
black. and they came upon the scene.
Kimberly foremost. In all stages OF un-
dress. and surprised enough were they
to see big ohoetah lying dead on the
yeranda. 1t was a fortunate shot
made for you can zee by the Hlze OF
the skin what sort OF show I would
have had In tuHHle with the brute"