The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-06-22
"a ar.s begun work had been carries

Anl Arst begun work had been carriss
down 80 feet Appropriate cross cuss
and drifts had been made to exploit the
lead. It was now abandoned. Bob and
Pat were put to work ut another spot
In the same lead little farther along
the ridge. The place marked out for
the first blast was between two huge
bowlders, or rather between the two
rounded cheeks of one bowlder. The
passage between them was perhaps five
or six feet wide. One end led out in q
gradual descent to the broad, open park
of the ridge top. the other dropped of
abruptly three or four feet to another
level place. Around the corner of the
first the miners kept their tools and
forage; down the second they planned
to drop when the blast was fired; and
there they had built a little fire, 1t be-
ing. on that particular day. in the lee OF
the rock.
The hole had been all drilled before Bob
discovered that he had forgotten t.
bring any powder; so. cursing. he
6tdTtCu uONh thC PusstSN w SSt oohS
from the sheet-iron powder house in the
draw. Hardly was he out of sight be.
fore McCann. chuckling softly to him.
self. pulled from under shelving bit
of rock the missing powder. With this
he loaded the hole: he arranged the
fuse. and then dropped down the ledge
to get n brand from the fire. 1t was
nearly out. so 1t took few moments to
start q torch. However. he was in no
hurry. ms II was some little distance to
the powder house. and Bob could not
possibly return inside OF half an hour.
At last he coaxed bit of pine into a
glow, and turned to climb back. A
startling sight met his eyes.
When Dob went to get the powder
he stopped at the forge for the wnter
pail. As he stopped to pick It up. some
thing struck him sudden blow In the
thigh that knocked him over and set
the blood flowing-he said nfterward he
thought the bone was broken. When
he could see. he looked about 70 find
what had hit him. and discovered not
ten feet away the long. tawny body OF
a puma.
The great cat lay watching him
through half-shut eyes, lazily switch.
ing its tail back and forth. From the
depths Of It's throat came deep rumb-
ling purr. He tried to rise, but could
not, Then he turned over on his lefi
side and started to crawl painfully
through the passageway of the rocks.
The beast opened Its eyes and followed
stealthily, step after step. still switch
ing Its tail, and still purring. 1t was In
o sportive mood. and played with its
prey as cat plays with mouse. Inch
by inch the man pulled himself along.
leaving trail Of blood. Al last, within
. few feet Of the ledge. he stopped; he
could 60 no further. The puma. too.
paused.
A. this moment Pit McCann. q blaz-
Ing pine brand In his hand. looked over
the ledge. Bob saw him and family
warned him back. The puma saw him
too. The purring ceased. and the 1.-THE
muscles tightened under the skin. The
game was over. Tho animal was pre-.
pairing to make Its spring.
II did not occur to the little irish.
mans fighting soul-to retreat. His
comical features stiffened; his little
blue eyes fairly snapped. Slowly he
drew himself up on the ledge. keeping
his eye fixed on the puma. until he
stood erect, then he shifted his brand
mechanically into his left hand. and
drew his sheath-knife. He did not
know that the fire was his best weapon.
and Bob was too weak to tell him. The
brand. held point downward. began to
blaze. The puma's great eyes shifted
| uneasily at this, uuh It's muscles re-
laxed. 1t was evidently discomposed.
Pat did not await the attack. but
stepped forward. holding his knife
| firmly.
When within a few feet of the animal
Pat hesitated and stopped. His nerve
was still mistaken, but he did not know
how to begin. The puma still shifted
uucueiiy Nv thc uidLo, uut uuu TeCONcTcu
from its first fear. and was again gath.
ering its powers for spring. For n
moment there was absolute silence. and
Pat heard through the still air the sharp
chatter Of a squirrel and the clank OF
the ore-team's whiffletrees from the
ore road far below. While he stood thus
uncertain, the fire from the pine. hov.
Ing run up along the torch. began to
burn Pats fingers. Without moving his
head or shifting his eyes. he dropped II
gently-plumb upon the fuse he had
so carefully arranged few moments
before. Then he took step backward
to avoid the smoke. There was splut.
ter and flash, then sudden roar. The
man and the beast were hurled violent.
ly in opposite directions. and vol
cano Of rock shot high in the mir and
showered down again.
The ax-gang found the puma very
dead and Pat very hard to revive. The
whisky-and-water method brought hin
sroupd at last. He looked hazily about
him in evident bewilderment until hi,
eye caught sight Of the dead animal
but then his face lighted up with eager
Joy.