River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-05-12

Mrs. Ames stared one second AT the
creature, then desperately EMBEDDING
her baby, as if to hide it, she stepped
forward, uttering terrified and terrify-
ing screams. and seized in her free hand
the kettle Of boiling water that had just
begun to hiss over the fresh l<indling
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 crea-
ture turned tail and dashed out of the
kitchen door.
Then the little woman shut the door
and bolted it and Rugged her baby and
kissed it and began to laugh hysteric-
ally. 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 formid-
able kettle of hot water.
But Mrs. Ames was not out of her
troubles yet. She heard great claw
ing in the front room, then silence,
and she suspected the truth. Rising on
the chair and looking through the
knot hole, 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
muflied fall of the cougars leap from
the top of the chimney to the big shin
giles 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
We're they doing? Suddenly she saw
both of them 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 al her-both of them crouch
ing on the roof-uot Is feet away from
the baby. No wonder the nerves of
poor little Mrs. Ames gave way again
aud she sank down on a kitchen chair
almost in a faint.
Still she was conscious of those hun
CRY, staring eyes; and she could not
move-she could barely keep the baby
from falling out of her arms They
stared so deliberately, 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 Of the glass, and
then began to claw it softly, as if puz-
lied at the invisible obstacle. Sudden
ly 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 settler named keegan, up the Ne
holen river were those three bouncing
little pigs. lie was 10 deliver them at
his convenience. Now it had been more
convenient to go off with the hunting
party that day, and so Tered had put
the pigs in the covered shed, or store
house in which there was nothing which
they could harm.
The pigs, perhaps seeming the coug-
ars, had begun TO squeal loudly The
cougars found these sounds interest
ing. Leaping TO the ground. they stared
into the storehouse through the chinks
in its log walls. then enlarged some of
these chinks by ciawing 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 inn
patiently about for an entrance They
sprang to the roof of the shed, but found
no opening there. They peered down
from the edges at the sides Now a
board that finished the top of the slant
Just under one edge of the roof had
been long loosened and hung down.
Looking through the chink the cougars
saw the appetiling pigs; they clawed
vigorously at the board; il gave way,
and in two seconds both the sinuous
beasts had squirmed through the hole
and dropped into the shed,
In vain did Mrs. Ames put her hands
to her nothing could ehut out tho
shrieks and squeais and horrid howls.
The baby screamed so that she feared
it would 90 into commissions; and the
night was falling fast.
Then came a blessed Interruptions
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 come down the river and up the
path to inquire for them, and he had al
ready peered into the shed through the
chinks There the cougars were too
happily engaged toworry themselves be-
cause of the man. Keegan had dimly
seen them by the little light they had
made through the hole in the gable.
Did Tered take his gun up the river
with him?" asked Keegan.
mo. Well. now. to think never
thought of the gum" cried Mrs Amcs.
Il guess I'll just borrow it a minute"
said Keegan. care there any cart
tridges? Good. Now, if you've got the
spunk to hold light for me, Wen fetch
those cougars" He explained his plan.
Mrs. Ames put the baby down on the
floor i'm her bedroom and came ont and
shut the door. and. trembling with ex-
citement and fear and eagerness, brave
ly helped Keegan.
She tied a bunch Of paper loosely
about broom handle and sprinlled
kerosene over the torch. She stood on
a barrel and held this light up TO the
opening the cougars had made in the
shed. They did not dare to spring at the
fire. In fact, they had not five seconds
to decide on any proceeding, for Kce-
gan. putting the muzzlc of the double
barreled gun through a chink in the
wall Of the shed, shot both neatly from
a distance of six feet The charges Of
shot passed soIidly, like great bullets.
through the lank bodies.
And then Mrs. Ames surprised and
alarmed the settler rs never cougars
could Sine went into Mysteries and was
still wildly laughing and crying at once,
when her husband came up the path
and held her IN his strong arms, and
soothcd the brave little mother to quiet
while the tired baby went contentediy
to sleep.-Youth's Companion.
CHE PEGGEn OFF