Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-10-03
A CLOSE CALL
BY Olive E. Gunby.

looking tracks down by the river,
called little Dora Harris. rushing up TO
her brother. who was sewing one Of The
many flaps 10 his saddle with painstak-
ing e7Ile5tless.
ooh, yes. would know those kinw OF
tracks; these are very different said
Dora brsa,hlossly.
That's a panher's track, said
Dan. after carefully examining the
footmarks I'm the soft sand. He must
have come down from The blum for wa
ter. You know all the water holes
above us are drying up.
Dora looked mp al the great blum
watch rose like an enormous wall steep,
dark and forbidding, on the opposite Of
the narrow river, md shuddered
There was only one trail which led
down from he top of the blutt. The
children knew that trail well, Che rocks
on bC-h sides Of il were covered with
quaint hier0glyphics which the Indians
had painted on them. Dan used TO
climb it when he went 90 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 roundup miles away, and
was not expected home for days. They
were living on the frontier, and Mr.
Harris had nc. We. bull. q house, nor
were there any neighb0rs within many
m.les
Dora had great faith IN her mothers
protecting power. and it was only after
al1 IA D.
lar tracks TO be those OF panther thar
che child lost her courage, and burst
into tears. OH I wish father would
come she sobbed. and her mother
echoed the wish, for -he.r situation waaA
indeed a grave enc.
Dan was twelve years old, and, being
manly little fe0w. might have shot
-he hess. had ne had anything TO shoot
With. bu- unuckily not one cartridge
could be found fer the pistol his father
had left for him. They were at q
great distance from any other camp,
and the canvas walls Of their tent
would afford but poor protection from
"a savage beast. Knowing the habits OF
animals Mrs Harris knew that the
panther was likely to come down fer
water again tina, night lat the same
hour ac which he descended before.
There was nothing TO be done but 70
make what slight preparation tley
could 10 keep off their dreaded visitor.
The children gathered all the wood
hey could IN order 10 keep up a big
fire all that night il was decided to
turn ont a calf from the little calf pen
90 u.ghtfall. Perhaps as it was young
and tender, the brute would be satisfied
and not come rTowling closer 20 the
cent which was not even protected by
rude fence from anything which
chose 10 approach II. Dan ventured a
-t-ie way mp the trail and discovered
some bones Of what appeared to be a
sheep, and the fact that the panther
he'd dcvoured obis sheep doubtless ex-
planned why he ala not disturb them
the previous night.
The evening closed in gray and
gloomy. III was a p.-iful. lonely look
ing trio that gathered round the watch
fire. The bright light made the dark
ness beyond yet more intense. They
tried 20 talk bus, the effort was unsuc-
cess,uL Mrs. Harris had cooked wh3.
She thought The children would like for
supper and encouraged chem 20 ea-.
trying t0 keep u0 their spirits but they
M -tlc appetre and would si- gang
with strained eyes il-0 the f0-mle 3.
gloom around -hgn n a twig fell o. q
W rl led che moner's face would
.arrl and her heart beat viOi -ntlv.
While lI,tle stve1-year-0ld Dora would
SHRINK SEQ Ccscr INFO her mothers cn-
brace Even The howl-g Of the coy
ores .1 which they were accustomed,
'gr5el unusually mournful and lone
ln tla stiffness the swish OF cie
shallow river over the rocks was dis
r-t'v audible. The night wore on,
--. old silver watch told that it was q
quarter past midnight Suddenly
loose rock rolled from the high bluff
and fell with O sullen spash into the
W be0W
Oh mother" said Dora, hiding her
face. SIS he coming?'
Il don think so. darling replied
her mother s0Othingly, but even as she
spoke. in the intense stiffness the slow
measured tread of a heavy body COM
Ing down the rocky trail confirming
their fears
TIA their dread they could almost feel
the pangs Of the cruel brute, and for a
moment 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 fame
flashed mp with fresh vigOr.
They distinctly heard the creature
jump down the last steps of the de-
scent and now he was coming across
the nearly dry ridge Of rocks leading
through the water to that side Of the
river He would pause to drink at the
fevorite Watering place after that
what?
Ii seemed almost that they could hear
him drinking. After his thirst was ap-
pe1sed he would seek TO satisfy his
hunger. Their only hope was i'm the
calf II me should get hold of that
first but no; he has come up from the
waters edge. and instead of making his
way toward the pen, he is coming to-
ward them.
They hear the loose rocks which
strew the ground slipping and crunch
inc beneath his feet Dora was too
frightened to ask questions now. and
Mrs. Harris. feeling the beating Of that
little heart so near her own. think Of
little Dan striving so hard to seem
brave and manly. determined. if death
must come to one OF them. to meet the
great cat herself. rather than see him
devour one Of her dearlings. Nearer
and nearer the creature comes. They
can see the outline of his form even in
IL. a.-l--.ss nov. 50 Close he's be IN