Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-02-01

only ldir leap for the beast across the
ravnc. and | expected him to make II mt
once and attack me. hut ms the minutes
passed away and bc still hcsitatcd be-
gan 10 wonder over his actions. lie
:Grucd 10 thu left and trottcd along over
the ground distance Of about - feet.
Thea he wheeled aud passed tho den by
about the same distance the other way.
When he hnd gone over this beat two or
three times. ! discovered what was the
maticr. As he came toward me ] got
clear view and saw that be was stone
blind There was white film over each
eve. and he could not have seen tree
in his path
or sudden there was nm alarm, The.
snow was falling mare thickly but the
beast was so near that ] coul1 catch his
every movement AS the wind whirled
up the rnvnc 1t created nm eddy, and
from one Of the circles of this eddy lie
rot my scent. Stopping midway in his
promenade. he reared up and shifted the
air. with savage grows. and my heart
beat SO hard that il seemed as II he
must surely hear it and follow the sound
until his hot breath was on my face.
;nif--snuff- growl. To the right. to the
left. straight ahead. After minute he
lost tie scent, nnd then he stood stock
still and uttered continuous growls ns he
waited to catch il again. No. not like
statue. His long tail swept the ground
IN Il half circle, and his ears worked
swiftly back and forth, Blind death
waiting to repd and bite and tear and
Kill!
There WIS something in tie sound OF
his low growing which chilled my blood,
II menace, | warning of what was to
come. which forced me to shut my eyes
and utter a last prayer. why does he
{ Hesitate? What delay his spring? lie
waited 80 long that | argued il out that
,i~ blindness reasoned against his fcro"l-
~ He had been blind for year or two
perhaps He had never left the cave
alone except to irfSve M aud down over
that one route. and he probably feared \
/ fall into the rayine II hc ventured n
spring. Ru, he finally made up his mind
10 Try 1t il the scent held, could tell
that by his continuous growls, 10y the
ears laid HAT back IN his head. as you
,avc seen IN an angry cnt by the click OF
/ hs claws on the ilintv rock rs he sought
u Gonthud for n spring, IS Iic was ou
hc poini Of taking the leap tho capri
rious hrccat played him rrlck He sud
drnl, iost the scent and walked slowly
Nuwn the shelf 70 pick it NJ again. per
haps reasoning thu, hui wovrd my po'
, St!On.
Ten feet to III" right he got it, and
with fierce snnll Ec crourhcl aud made
the leap
Did the brns, know the Iny II tho
grmnd before LOSING his "ycsii;hi or wat
II the subtle instinct gwen TO the feline
irlbcf II WIS II clrHr leap of 10 feet
maybe n foot or two more Only at that
spot could he strike thu she'll on which
stood, lie rose in the mir like bird tax,
Ing ilighi described Il graceful half curry,
In the mir and lauded so lightly that felt
rather thau beard hla! lie was ten feet
away from me, ana he reared up and
snulrcd ~ the air In every direction OK
to that instant my brokcn ribs had givcr
NC no pain, All of q sudden it seemed aS
IL knives wcrc cutting into the flesh, ant
! had to clinch my hands and shut my
teeth hard 10 prevent Il scream from
passing my lips. But for the wind an(
the snow the beast must have got my
scent so close at hand, There was suct
n swirl that he was Mt fault, and he die
not walk along the ledge. On the contra