Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-01-21

one side and down on the other, fling.
ing shadows that hurried over the
ground and up along the sides, while
from within the building came great
rumbling and buzzing sounds. Another
trouble was the fact that Mr.. Hedges,
the miller, had dog. This dog, Jack, )"
was in Tigers eyes an ugly and dan
gerous brute. But Tiger was no cow
ard; his fears of the sails were simply
nervous, and he was not the cat to 90
out of his way to avoid a dog. So he
set out for the mill.
Bnt it was one of those days when
everything seems to go wrong. Over
the corn field Tiger saw that the sails
were not at rest, but wheeling around
in a brisk wind, and when opposite the
miller's house, although he kept him
self carefully in the high grass, he was
espied by Jack, who challenged him
with sharp bark. Tiger pretended
not to hear this, and passed slyly on be-
yond the mill, to deceive the dog, who,
as he well knew, would object to his
hunting there although it was sheer
malice on Jacks part to grudge his
neighbor few mice, for the miller's
cat was old and lazy, and he himself
despised any smaller game than rats.
At length, by keeping under cover of
the beach-plum and bay bushes, Tiger
reached his goal, and soon took up a
position near apromising-loolling hole
by the shady side of the shingled mill;
this happened to be also on the leeward
side, SO that the huge arms as they
wheeled around were not in sight. 1t
was a good, quiet place to compose his
/ ruflled nerves. Tiger no longer felt
too restless to lie in wait, so he tucked
his feet comfortably under his body,
curled his tail around them and settled
/ down to await some foolish mouse.
But the windmill mice were probably
well fed and in the habit of taking
monday maps, for not the tip of nose
or the faintest squeak came from the
hole. Tiger grew drowsy. Luckily
for himself, he did not fall quite asleep,
for he was in more danger than the
mice for whom he had set an ambush.
Jack, the cross terrier, divining the
poachers intentions, was stealing
march on him. Without growl of
/ warning ne lluN CTNlSSttl Jllt IOdtl from
the millers house and, noiselessly gain
ing the little rise on which stood the
mill, caught sight of the unsuspecting
cat calmly seated, his nose toward the
mouse hole and his back toward the
coming danger, With startling yell
Jack sprang toward his victim.
1t was shabby of Jack to take Tiger
off his guard, and it is not matter of
the slightest reproach to the courage
of Tiger that, reused to his peril at the
lastmoment, he gave desperate bound
and fed.
1t was race for life! Around the
mill they few-there was no tree, no
place of refuge near, but Tigers small
er size gave him an advantage on the
circular race track. Five times the
race had gone around the mill when
suddenly Tiger did a desperate thing.
The lower end of one of the great sails
happened to sweep near the ground
just ahead of him; he made great for
ward and upward bound, clutched the
framework and canvas, and instantly
was borne aloft toward the clouds as II
by the arm of a friendly giant; it was
enough to make a cats head swim, but
Tiger was safe if he could keep his
hold, for in a few moments the bafiled
terrier was barking furiously forty feet
below him.