St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-05-12
Tad and His Panther

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n1Dsyou hear the panther las,
II night. sergeant?" asked Tad
the captains son.
No., said the sergeant, as he Gu,
at the top of sage brush with the
loose end of the lariat hanging at his
saddle. II didn't hear it, but it yelled
! guess. Billy Murphy was on guard
down at Post No. 2, and he didn't dare
walk the length of his beat"
Lets 60 there tonight and fetch
It in," said the boy.
"No-no!"
The soldier rarely spoke in SO posi-
tive q manner to his younger COM
panion. They had grown to be quite
good friends. So Sergt. Gore looked
at the trim figure by his side and ad-
mired-as cavalryman would-Tad's
posture in the saddle. And then he
gazed down the long road to the bluff
on the shingly lodges of which the
panther they had been speaking of
was said to prowl at night and call to
the echoes in that fearsome voice.
Gore was a well-born. well-trained
young fellow who had enlisted in the
ranks of the regular army at time
when penniless and discouraged, as
has many another son of a good fam
lily. He seemed peculiarly attractive
to this boy. Tad admired Gore be-
cause he was cleverer than the others.
Gore was better shot and a better
horseman, and he was the best
wrestler in the fort. And there is
nothing that SO appeals to the soul
of the boy as ability in that close
struggle of athletes, that embrace of
gladators. out of which comes the
triumph of the unarmed hands, the
victory of the unaided muscle and
skill.
And Tad's father, the captain, had
not discouraged an association which
gave his son pleasure and seemed to
make the lad more manly.
Couldn't we kill the panther, GER
geant?"
I'VE might and we might not. The
last man in this troop who went out
to kill a panther came back in
sling between two pack mules; and
he didn't get off sick report for three
months. Now, see here, Tad. Get
that wrinkle out of your brain. How
would it look for me to risk the cap
tain's son out there on the bluff at
night? How would l 60 to the cap
tain's wife and explain it IT,
Wouldn't need any explanation if
we brought the panther
''Or how would 1 square matters
with the captain when the captains |
little boy was lying in bed-and sur
geon plaster all over him?"
Pretty nice thing to kill a pam
ther."
Yes; and then
Sergeant, are you afraid of her?" |
I'm not afraid Of anything alive"
said the sergeant, calmly.
IF you are not afraid why don't |
you go?"
I'VE don't do all the things we dare
to do.
What. for instance?"
well, dare tell Higgins, when we
get to camp, that I won't mount
guard tomorrow"
Then why don't you?"
because it is my duty to mount
guard whenever he details me. He's
the orderly sergeant"
Il saw you throw him one time"
said Tad, irrelevantly; and then he
to laugh at the recollection.
Higgins was very strong man;
ard one day in spring before mount
ed drill was begun the soldiers got
up a tournament on the parade
ground. where the orderly sergeant
anyone to wrestle. Tad
Cores acceptance and
how the bigger man had strutted to
The encounter: how the two had
pripped to the work and how present
" Gore had caught the huge weight
on his hip. and had flung the other
heels over head in one great sweep.
But that was months ago. Tad
looked up at the distant bluff while
the buglers were blowing retreat. but
he stood in ''the attitude Of soldier"
when the flag came down to the
booming of the evening gun. That
night he made his bed on the floor
IF the upper porch, and lay there
at the stars till long after
saps. Time and again he caught him
,elf almost across the border land
If dreams and it seemed to him the ,
agging midnight must have passed |
when the sound for which he waited ,
cached his ears. And then the sud
lenness of it. the savage strength of
hat panther's cry, startled the cour-
lgeous little fellow till his heart was
till. The half human quality Of the 5
one added to the terror of it. r.
Then his breath came back. and
With it his daring. And the next time t
he cry was raised he knew the
hingly shelves Of the bluff were then I
promenade for the panther.
Next night Sergt. Gore was ON !
,uard. but the next after he was free; 9
nd time and again he wondered