Cañon City record., 1898-06-23

troubles yet. She heard great claw
ing in the front room, then silence
and she suspected the truth. Rising OF
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
mufiled 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
were they doing? Suddenly she saw
both of them peering down at her and
the baby through small, uncurtained
window which was between the ROOT
of the shed and the caves of the house
Staring at her-both of them crouch
ing 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 faint.
Still she was conscious of those hun
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 its
claw forward and felt of the glass, and
then began to claw it softly, as if puz-
zled 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 il
to settler named Keegan, up the Ne
holen river, were those three bouncing
little pigs. He was to deliver them at
his convenience. Now it had been more
convenient TO go off with the hunting
party that day, and SO Jered had put
the pigs in the covered shed, or store
house in which there was nothing which
they could harm.
The pigs, perhaps scenting 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 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 i'm
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 n
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 chinlS. the cougars
saw the appetizing pigs; they clawed
vigorously at the board; 1t gave way,
and in two seconds both the sinuous
beasts had squirmed through the hole
and dropped into the shed.
Then came a blessed Interruption
lond knock combined with distinctly
human kick nj the back door. Mrs.
Ames rose ard opened it. There stood
Keegan, the settler who owned The pigs.
He had come down the river and up the
puth TO inquire for them, and he Ind nl-
ready pecre,l into the shed through the
chinks. There the cougars were too
happily engaged toworry themselves be-
cause of the man. Keegnn had dirnly
seen them by the little light they had
made through the hole in the gable.
Ibid Jered take his gun up the river
with him?. asked Keegan.
"No. Well, now. to think never
thought of the gun!" cried Mrs. Ames.
81 guess I'll just borrow IL a minute =
said Keegan. Are there any cart
tridges? Goodl Now, II you've got the
spunk to hold light for me. we'll fetch
those cougars" He explained his plan.
Mrs. Ames put the baby down on the
floor in her bedroom and came ont and
shut the door, and, trembling with cx-
citement and fear and eagerness, brave
ly helped KeeRnn.
She tied bunch OF paper loosely
about broom handle and sprinlied
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 Kee-
gan. putting the muzzle of the double
barreled gun through chinIs~in the
wall of the shed, shot both neatly from
distance of six feet. The charges OF
shot passed solidly, like great bullets,
through the lank bodies.
And then Mrs. Ames surprised and
alarmed the settler as never cougars
could. She went into Mysteries and was
still wildly laughing and crying nt once,
when her husband came up the path
and held her in his strong arms, and
soothed the brave little mother to quie,
while the tired baby went contentedly
to sleep.-Youth's Companion.