The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-11-07

| air 1t was much nearer than before. |
The awakened panther was out in
search of prey. Peggy did not stir in
her sleep, except to murmur: Dram |
ma tomin'; Peggy so tired"
On came that creeping, cringing, |
crawling beast with eyes atame with
yellow fire and teeth cleaning. With
u bound it dropped into the road, and
crouching into the shadows of the dark
est side, made its way cautiously to-
ward the bridge. Before reaching the
end of the crude structure, it dropped
on its belly in the dust and drew itself
forward foot at a time.
The gentle motion of the bridge and
the roar of the water below had lulled
Peggy into a deep sleep. Once her bon
net, which she still clutched, fluttered
in the wind and caused the oncoming
beast to hesitate and look about for
possible danger to itself, but it soon
moved on again. Now it had reached
point fifty feet from the sleeping child
and was moving it's tail gently from
side to side, as a cat does when about to
pounce upon bird in the grass.
mere was dHAlctN dJ bllC L liIlllOSN
residence mile away around the noun
t tain. Mr.. and Mrs. Primrose had
mounted the family horse that morn
ing and ridden double to the next settle
ment to visit the mother of Mr.. Prim-
rose. They did not expect to return
until the next day, a~d Peggy was left
i'll charge of an aunt and her fifteen
year-old brother Tommy. About the
middle of the afternoon Mrs. Raines,
the aunt, went a few hundred yards
from the mountain home to a spring
for water, and left Peggy playing about
the house. Tommy was out in the new
field half mile away gathering corn.
All day Peggy had been thinking of
the visit OF her parents to Grandma
Primrose's She had asked to be per-
mitted to go that morning, but it was
thought that the addition of her weight
would be too much for "Old Raldy,"
the family horse, so she was promised
that if she would be a good girl and
? stay with Aunt Polly and Tommy she
+ might go the next time.
= She had promised to be contented,
4 but the moment Mrs. Raines left with
e her water bucket, Peggy snatched down
a her sunbonnet from a nail on the wall
a and departed from the opposite side of
|, the house. Her feet battered ON the
e bare ground like the advance drops of a
V summer shower, as she disappeared
: down the road taken by her parents
O that morning.
O When Mrs. Raines returned she placed
the bucket of water on a bench against
It the wall on a shady side of the house
II and called Peggy to come out and get
l. fresh drink. There was no response
O. and she went about some work she had
4 on the outside of the house, thinking
j. that the child had fallen asleep. After
Or finishing that task she took her knit
@ ting from her pocket and proceeded tc
n ''toe OUT a stocking she had been work
IF ing at that day. She was still engaged
" from the field "half an hour by sun.
d and placed his long muzzle-loading
l. rifle against the side of the cabin. II
d. those days the men folks always car
- ried their guns TO and from work as {;
re protection from attacks by wild ami
AZ mails and to procure meat for the fam
is lily larder.
E. where's Peggy" asked Tommy
t. turning to his aunt.
d shes in the house asleep" answered
,e Mrs. Raines, rolling up her work al
d is time was gittin' you children a bite
lie of supper" she went on, rising.
A. Tommy pushed the door open anc
p called: Peggy, come out an see what
| hoe Of l,,
v time drawing d handful of nuts from
o. his pocket. There being no response
he thrust his head in and looked quick
p ly about, then exclaimed: "Why, Aunt
* Polly, Peggy amt here!"
is well, then, she must have followed
I me to the spring and got lost. She was
r here when / started for water an ]
n 'sposed she was in there sleepin. II
Or run to the spring an see if she is there
- I'll go down the road an look for heI
" in that direction" exclaimed Tommy
snatching up his gun and speeding
q away.
v Peggy" called Mrs. Raines, as she
g reached the spring. where are you
child?" The voice of the anxious WON.
an came back in hollow echo
Brother John would never forgive me
if anything should happen to Peggy,
she soliloquized. P-e-g-g-y!" 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
the road and was scanning it for some
sign of the absent sister. He clutched
his rife tightly and shot glance down
the road as his eye caught sight of a
footprint. 'She has started to go to
grandmas alone" exclaimed the excit-
ed brother. "Oh, if | could only reach
her before she falls over cliff and kills
herself, or is devoured by a 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. IF | can only
overtake her before she reaches the big
bridge! If she gets there she'll be sure
to climb up on the railing to look ever
y and fall off,
"a an no n ba, e+;11 1o,,,o,. :