The Van Buren press., 1896-02-15

lac AaokAAA ah Sess Al1fSh VIII WHIT
| ing fakes. L was late in the afternoon
i5efare the storm ceased. Then Uncle
Siiaz. much 10 the alarm Of mis- hostess
and her family. tied up his bundle pre-
paratory 70 departure.
In Tain they urged him % stay The
snow. the cold, the coming night. each
seemed & sufficient reason Why he
should tarry till morning. All the
stories OF The fierce beasts depreda-
tions. snagnified bx fear and much tell
i ing. were poured into his cars bs tae
anSious woman and her disturbed Aus
4 oand
Uneie sIlas listened patiently, but
ouiy sho8a ms head at each new en-
treaty. He had heard sou much Of the
beast from Trustworthy sources 10
I Doubt lie presence near the village. But
/ be was brave man, and held steadily
TO his purpose.
But WHY go to-night9@ urged the
woman, desperately
i don't quite know. sister" he said
slowly s-ThOse poor Hawkins chill
Z dEen. over the mountain. with their
+ drunken Young fa4har, have been On my
mind all day. Perhaps i nave call TO
80. ANYWAY, NE are safe N the Lords
hands das OF night; and ! dom fes-
/ the eatamoant
So he started on his lonely tramp
over the mountain.
The rOad 10 Dayton slsirted the base
Of the mountain for several miles be-
fore i turned gradually and tried the
useent- Soft snow shade travelling
difficult on this rough road; and i was
I almost dark before Uncle siias turned
his face upward e the hill that Ias be-
+ tween him and his night 5 rest. On she
/ lef1 she stsepleti spruces stood out dark
/ u against the cold winter twilight On
the right the woods we're already
I gloomy with shadows
Fhene was one place On this road that
every belated Traveller was riad q leave
behind him-a deep rasEne near the
summit OF the ridge. Ten feet from
! the edge q fhis raYIne high shoulder
of rock followed lis general direction
f for 50 yards or more- Between these
i tive the read ran. shrinking close 30 the
ssisfssy rock.
4 stout railing . logs gaze one n the
dangerous place g certain sense o Sc
+ euri4y. Leaning over the railing the
i Traveller could see the dweff pines cling
/ ing e the elf SIDE L vas always
cold and damp In the rayine below and
az times the rush ana gurgle OF
brook came family up through The low
/ iree-tops.
New. in the gathering darkness, Uncle
Silas quiekened his steps unconscious
/ b. But he was still some distance be
/ low his place when, from the woods on
his eft, fierce ery broke sharply on
the twilight stiffness.
For moment the horrible seneech
seemed everywhere. eehOing along the
monntainside. penetrating the raYines.
Then. la the stiffness. the Old man stood
breathless. listening. while the stories
ne bad heard of the panther crowded
upon him. and a chill that he could not
repress spread slowly down his spine.
Tie cry was repeated; il seemed
no~ in the path below him. There it
was again. and neanerl The beast had
scented and was following him.
Ar first the hopelesSness Of escaping
such brnte oyerpowered him. He
hesitated, as If he would meet the dan
ger where be stood. What use to run
from creature that could oyertake a
deer in such snow? How hide from
eyes that still saw clearly as twilight
deepened2
But the habits Of the old preachers
life were stronger than any danger.
he lifted bis face in swift, mute
prayer; then dropping his bundle and
graspiDg his old umbrella, be bounded
up the path toward the summit There
the forest ended. and the panther could
not leap unseen upon his shoulders
from some oyerhanging limb.
Long years of constant travelling lad
given Uncle Silas hard muscles and i'm
mense endurance, though he was a
small man. He needed these quali-
tics now as he struggled against the
snow and the steep incline. But the
same causes impeded the panther also;
and when next the sharp scream cut
the air IL seemed no nearer than be
fore.
The old preacher had been running
Eve minutes. perhaps, when heemerged
from the dense shadow Of the woods.
The open road was before him, and
the log railing that bordered the preei-
piee. The path was level here, and he
made better speed, though be turned
fFseaentiy TO see II his pursner was in
sight.
But what meant this dead stillness2
Had the panther given up the pursuit
when il found the bundle and the
meager lunch il contsined2 Or did this
silence mean only its fierce determine
tiOn 70 give no strength save 20 mighty
bounds on Uncle SIS traek2
The question had scarcely crossed
bis mind when il was answered. A
frightfui yell Of savage triumph rsng
from the ledge above him. He had been
circumgented. As be lesped back in
staefiyeiy. the panther threw himself
down into the path-into the Fery
tracks his victim had left in the snow
as be jumped away.
For an instant they faced each other
silently the beast erOuching low on
its elOse-set feet, with ears back, and
tail switching violently; the man mo
tionsss, with eyes fixed on the green
spots vaguely luminous in the deep
shadow If the ledge
Swiftly the remembTance Of the