Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-08-23

ture; then, desperately enfolding her baby
as if to hide it, she stepped forward, utter
ing terrified and terrifying screams, and
seized in her free hand the kettle of boil
ing water that had j1,t begun to hiss over
the fresh kindling. Whether the screams
or the threat of the kettle or the forward
motion of Mrs. Ames scared the female
cougar to flight no one can be sure, but
the creature turned tail and dashed out OF
the kitchen door.
Then the little woman shut that door
and bolted it and Rugged her baby and
kissed 1t and began to laugh Historically.
Frightened as she was, she had a certain
sense that it was all very funny and that
cougars were as easy to deal with as cats
or hens. Her anxiety for the baby's life
had quite gone. She felt that she could
defeat a cougar with her broomstick, not
to mention her formidable kettle of hot
water.
But Mrs. Ames was not of her trou-
bles yet. She heard a great clawing in the
front rOom, then silence, and she suspect
ed the truth. Rising on the chair and
looking through the knothole, she saw no
cougar. He had climbed out by way of
the big fireplace and. up the enormous
chimney. As she stepped down to the floor
she heard the muffied fall of the cougars
leap from the top of the chimney to the
big shingles of the roof.
There were two of them outside now, and
she dared not open the door of the kitchen
or any outer door. The sun was nearly
down. She suspected the beasts would be
courageous after dark. What were they
| 1OinDy Su1dap1v che can E,tb ,f kl,,,
peering down at her and the baby through
a small, uncurtained window which was
between the roof of the shed and the caves
of the house.
Staring at her, both of them crouching
on the roof, not Is feet away from the
baby No wonder the nerves of poor little
Mrs. Ames gave way again, and she sank
down on a kitchen chair almost in a faint.
Still she was conscious of those hungry,
staring eyes, and she could not move. She
could barely keep the baby from falling
out of her arms. They stared so deliberate
ly, so gloatingly, that it seemed that the
next moment they would crash through
the glass and down at her. Now one of
them put it's claw forward and felt the
glass and then began to claw it softly as if
puzzled at the invisible obstacle. Suddenly
both rose. They had heard pigs, and on
the instant both vanished.
Among the last freight sent up to Jered
Ames with directions to deliver it to a set
tier named keegan, up the Nehalem river,
were those three bouncing little pigs. He
was to deliver them at his convenience.
Now, 1t had been more convenient to 20
off with the hunting party that day, and
On .JarQ1 hod rIyt tho MICS T., thu oor,rnJ
shed or %storehouse, in which there was
nothing which they could harm.
The pigs, perhaps scenting the cougars,
had begun to squeal loudly. The cougars
found these sounds interesting. Leaping
to the ground, they stared into the store
house through the chinks In its log walls,
then enlarged some of these chinks by
clawing out chips and hay and earth,
then thrust In their sharp claws and tried
to seize the pigs. But the pigs, all the
time squealing loudly, kept out Of the |
way.
The cougars soon began looking impa-
tiently about for an entrance. They sprang
to the roof of the shed, but found no open
ing there. They peered down from the
edges at the sides. Now, a board that fin
ished the top of the slant just under one
edge Of the roof had long been loosened
and hung down. Looking through the
chink, the cougars saw the appetizing
pigs. They clawed vigorously at the board.
1t gave way, and in two seconds both the
beasts had squirmed through the
hole and dropped into the shed.
In vain did Mrs. Ames put her hands to
her ears. Nothing could shut out the
chrinEa and cnvJpa1c on1 bCrriI nrDyr1c |
The baby screamed SO that she feared 1t
would go into commissions, and the night
was falling fast.
Then came a blessed interruption-a
loud knock, combined with a distinctly
human kick, at the back door. Mrs. Ames
rose and opened it. There stood keegan,
the settler who owned the pigs. He had
down the river and up the path to
for them, and he had already peered
into the shed through the chinks. There
jhe cougars were too happily engaged to
worry themselves because of any man.
had dimly seen them by tho little
light through the hole they had made in
The gable.
"Did Jered take mis- gun up river with
asked Keegan.
"NO. Well, now, to think ! never
of the gun!" cried Mrs. Ames.
II guess I'll just borrow 1T a minute"
laid Keegan. care there any cartridges?
GOOD! Now If you've got the spunk to
lold a light for me wen fetch those oou-
He explained his plan. Mrs. Ames
]ut the baby down on the floor in her bed
DOM and came out and shut the door and.
with excitement and fear and
agerness, bravely helped Keegan.
She tied a bunch Of paper loosely about
broom handle and sprinkled kerosene
'ver the torch. She stood on a barrel and
,eld this light up to the opening the cou-
,ars had made in the shed. They did not
lare to spring at the fire. In fact, they
lad not five seconds to decide ON any pro-
for Keegan, putting the muzzle
the double barreled gun through a
hink in the wall of tive shed, shot both
realty from u distance Of six feet. The !
Of shot passed solidly, like great {
through the lank bodies.
And then Mrs. Ames surprised and
larmed the settler as never cougars could.
he went into Mysteries, and vas still {
wildly laughing and crying at once when
er husband came up the path and held
er IN his strong arms and soothed the 5
little mother to quiet while the tired {
ably went ~contentedly to sleep.-Youth's {
n
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