Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-12-20
THOs. .. ADAMS PROPRIETOR.
what 1.-The should climb

beside it'll What ifhe should climb
=itP The great stick Of timber from
which the bucket was hung reached
from the earth, where its box of stones
weighed down the larger end, to o
point over the we'll, within six feet OF
the edge Of the kitchen roof. Sup.
pose the panther should climb tha
sweep? Gould he reach a point from
which, he could leao. to the roof, before
his weight should cause the balanced
timber to Tip the other wayf i.
The crouehing cat moved even more
swiftly than Mary expected. With o,
light, 1.-THE spring he grasped the
sweep just below the point where it
fitted into tho crotch of the upright
post. Then he began to climb quick
,ly upward. f.s..-5--..,.. ..,1... ...
The girl trembled and shiyered and
stared, bewildered, at the blazing,
hungry eyes and creeping form. The
rooffwas her last.refugs. Should the
famiBhed panther reach that, nothing
but help from outside could save her
life. ~,
Z The Beast was ascending more slow
ly. sHe seemed now to suspect the
sweep, for he stopped frequently and
shifted tho timber in front of him; be.
fore resumi1g his slow and careful
creeping. He passed the upright
post, and still the heavily-weighted
lower end Of the sweep remained dupon
the ground. . @ $50
The panther began to crouch low er,
and grippedl the timber more firmly
with his claws. Hefwas getting ready
to spring. ,to1
But he did not leap when he pre-.
parcd to do so. It seemed to OCCUR
to him that he could run lightly along
this seeming branch and spring from
very near the end of it. He rose
higher and came on as cat -trots on
a afence. Mary, staring, shrieked and
shrieksd. Then, suddenly, the buck
et,end of the sweep went down with q
rush. The weighted end went up;
the surprised panther pitched head
first, clawed desperately, trying to
keep his hold, and did not wholly lose
it and his balance until he. was di-
.rectly over the well. Then into the
we'll he pitched, headlong.
Down he went, with q .scranbling
-clatter. Then Mary heard hollow
sounding splash, twenty feet below
the ground surface, as the beast vent
head foremost into the water. For
several minutes there was great tu-
mutt in the well-an unearthiy scream
ing, asfrantic dashing and churning OF
water, and scratching OF the rock,
walls. But all was quiet, and the
trembling girl began to draw full
breaths again, long before On hour
had passed. -
The forenoon was far advanced,
however, when Mary ventured to pry
up her chamber window and slip back
into the house. Taking Doxie With
her, she stole downstairs, and closed;
and barred the heavy kitchen door.
Then, feeling sick and faint, size lay
down on the lounge, and presently
fell asleep, exhausted by the nervous
sreaction sosss3
Tile next thing she heard, was a
knock at the kitchen door, and her.
mother calling:
St & 'sstM Mary! Are you there, child? Let
me in!'
s4s soon as hesheard her daugh ghter's.
story, Mrs. Mayfeld went and looked
into the we'll. Down in the gloom,
projected slightly above the surface
of tho water, was something-she
could, not, tell what. She let down
the bucket, t ut it struck solid mass,
and could not be dipped. ST declare,
Mary" she exclaimed, 'I believe
your panther is actually drowned in
the well!''
Mary laughed nervously. "He
either drowned" she said, cor went
through to China, for he certainly
didn't come up again. IL. ". Law
renee, in Youth's Companion.