The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-12-16
SHE SAVED HER COLT.
A PL,.,Jr>T NARE'S DEADLY BATTLE
GgirN- A PANTHER.

| a FLS.'Cf>r FARES JEEDLf ENl LIZ
Ey!r'- A PANTHER.
| Fhe r.al,I.IE =, Daring; and Lightning
it=-s h:rnr.s ~ tIic Tiger cat We're
20 ,I~sch For the Iron ShuG Heels
| =. ia, Grave Horse.
In the little AroostooIl camp whore |
worked the wintcrI WAS Ii years old there
| arrived an UNUSUAL kind of visitor 1t
was nothing less than fine colt. Tho
| ii.o,nur of this unlocked for visitor YVES "a
| bay mare called Vixen. She had fine in
telligcEce and great working qualities,
| hut she was bad tempered to all bu,, her
| rluStcr, who Thought the world of her.
lust now she was in Il worse temper than
usual, for she thought her foal ought to
he in more civilized quarters than those
| If the camp stables.
Tho mare and her baby, however, were
cared for with soliciCude that should
nave softencd her heart. l. was spring
weather, warm in the sun at midday, and
| J,siGcs the roumy corner of the stable
which had been fitted up for my lady's
! accommodation the men had built her a
| wide pen in the yard, on tho south side of
the stable wall, whore she could sun her
One day, in the carly afternoon, when
the men had gone far off TO their chop
ping, the cook and found ourselves alone
in camp. \ week or SO before this l had
had the misfortune to sink my AK deep
into my left foot. Tho cut was bad enc,
and since the accident had not been able
to walk . step.
l WAS sitting on log where the cook
had placed me when some slight sound
attracted my attention. CHANGING toward
the noise, my eye caught glimpse Of
| Iank, tawny creature stCalthily creeping
bet wcon the trees on the outer edge of the
CLEARING. His belly dragged the snow, so
low did he crouch. lie had not seen me-
and he took the utmost pains TO escape
observation. IIa WAS cyiug Vixen and
her foal over the low fence of their pen
and WAS deciding on the tactics best cal
cul&tcd to give him colt for supper.
He crcpt slowly round the clearing I'M
| observed, as he thought, till he had the
| stable between himself and the pen; then
he left his cover But he had undcrrated
| Yixens kcCnness. Her eye had been upon
him from the first, and the moment he
disappeared from her vicw she set up an
excited whinny, which was intended to
| summon help from the camp.
The cook heard her call Without wait
ing for more than Il glimpse OF the panther
tho cook started on tho run for the chop
ping where the mon were at work. I
knew be had gone for his gun, the only
one in camp, which Jean Batistc had
taken with him after dinner.
Seeing no help come from the camp,
Vixen took her colt to the middle of the
pen and stood with it right under her
nose, while she kept q ceaseiess watch on
all sides. The colt seemed to realize from
its mothers alarm that there was danger
astir and huddled itself apprehensively to-
gcther
| Presently round the corner of the stable
crept the panther, n tawny shadow, Hat
on the snow. The moment he saw through
the openings Of tho fence that the eye of
tho mare was upon him he bounded to
tho top of tho fence and made one bold
| spring for his prey, but the mare was no
less lightning swift than himself At the
first glimpse of him sho had whirlcd so
that her heels were toward the enemy and
had waited in crcuching attitude that
one might have taken to indicate the ex
trefne of terror. AS the panther sprang
her iron heels met him with Il thTd that
forced out OF him an involuntary snarling
| gasp, ard he fell against the pen fence.
In an instant he flashed over the fence and
lay down IL the snow to recover his
| breath
Instead of making another direct attack
tho panther next rose to. the fence, and
thence spr2ng to the roof OF the stable,
whcro hs crouched down and snarled
ficrccly.
The colt was still the object Of his
hearts desire. Tho moment he mounted
to tho roof Vixen had withdrawn TO tho
farther edge of the pen, and now sho stood
hunchcd together with her head turned
backward, so as to let no movement of her
foe escape her eye.
From his superior height the panther
fancicd that he could escape her heels and
reach the mares back. As he sprang from
his vantage ground the impetus OF his at
tack was tremendous and almost irresisti-
bic. Vixen almost stood on her head, and
her heels met him fair in the stomach, so
that he shrekci under the blow, but the
mere momentum of his leap overcare tho
| resistance of Nixens hoofs to the extent
that he reached her back and bore the
brave mare to the ground with his de-
| scending force. She nimbly recovered her
self, however, and shook him off, and by
| this time the cook came running toward
| the pen with his gun cooked, expecting to
see the panther at her throat. But no;
there was little fight left in him. He
| looked very sick as he tried to crawl out
of the pen, and tho cook was on the point
| of finishing him with charge of buck
shot, but'Vixen interviewed.
Leaving her colt, she darted forward and
tore his neck ficrcely with her powerful
teeth. Tho beast rolled over on his back,
screaming madly, and as Vixen tramplcu
him down with her front hoofs he doubled
| and sank his claws into her neck and
shoulders.
There for moment no snarled and
| clAwCI, while tho bravo mares neck
strcamed with blood, and the cook sought
chance for IL shot. But Vixen S plung-
ings gave him no opportunity. 1t was
| plain to thc cook that the mare would XIII
her adversary in IL minute or two moro,
| but IL dreaded lest meanwhile she should
be seriously injured.
| With some misgiying IS TO the reception
no might have frcm Vixen himself,
| though he was going to her assistance, he
| dropped his gun, drew his long knife and
| Jumped into the pom. As an opportunity
| showed itself he drove the knife with al
| his force straight through the beast $
| backbone, dividing the spine, and the
| iank carcass Strengthened out on the snow.
| The brave mare sS0od over her fallen ad-
ycrsary and whiunied tr:Em phantiy, and
| she mado it plain to the COOK that She ap-
| precatpd his assistance Then the cook
| got water in his dishpan and washed Ken
| wounds. Tho dressing of them he left
| for her master to see to on his return, but
| ever afterward Vixen was as gentle to the
| cook rs toward ECr owrcr, though with
| the rest of mankind she would haVo
| naught to do-Youth's Companion.