The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-11-15
A PANTHER'S
REQUEST
How Clyde Brown Found q
Fortune and Won a Girl.


addition to his gold, he possessed
rare treasure In the person of his
daughter Bessie, as sweet seventeen
year-old maiden as ever lived.
Pretty Bessie did not lack for lovers.
and quite as naturally the favored one
was the very one that her father OBJ
jected to.
Clyde Brown was frank spoken, with
an honest, manly face, a true, loving
heart and little else.
"Why, Elizabeth = her father al
ways called her that when displeased--
show can you forget that we are de-
scended from the Randolfs Of Vir-
GINA? Just little longer, daughter
year or two at the most-and we win
go east and live as other people do.
Then my jewel may find worthy set
ting"
II want no one but Clyde, papa"
protested Bessie tearfully.
But tears made no impression on the
hard heart of George Randolf.
However, he condescended to give a.
conditional consent to their union
such an absurd condition that people
laughed and shook their heads, and
Bessie's merry face grew grave.
when you can show the possession
of hundred thousand dollars you can
have her." he said grimly in answer to
Clyde Browns manly petition. "Un-
1no oil, 1trt
sYou can never do it." sobbed Bessie
when they stood alone in the moon
light by the road a few moments later,
while her father watched angrily from
the window. fortunes are wonder
fully made in these mines sometimes,
but none will fall to u.s."
Don't be discouraged my precious
Queen Bess," Clyde returned, with all
a liyer's unreasoning fondness. "OnIy
trust in me through all and wait for
me, no matter what may happen. Will
you promise me that?"
Indeed / will, dearest! You knew
that | would before you asked" she
murmured. But do not try me too
much for father is as hard as a rock"
81 must go away for awhile, my
darling. Somewhere in yonder end
less chain of mountains fortune is
waiting for me. feel it'll know it
as well as if it were already in my
grasp" he answered in solemn earnest
ness.
"God grant that it may be so.' she
added.
And then she walked slowly to the
house, to her fathers great relief.
The next morning Clyde left the
town fully equipped for prospecting
tour, and quite alone excepting the
three large dogs which followed Sc
dately at his heels.
For some time the prize which he
sought eluded him, but it came to him
at last in strange manner.
One day, after following the course
of noisy, shallow stream into mar
row valley hemmed in by lofty noun
tains, he camped at the foot of a
gigantic tree near the water.
The dogs whined uneasily and shifted
at hole among the roots of the tree,
but he called them away and went on
building a fire to cook supper from the
loose wood and branches around.
Now that the fire is ready" he
unused aloud Il wonder If I'll find any
game hereabout."
AS if in answer a half grown deer
came down to the stream on the oppo-
site bank not many rods away.
1t stopped, with one foot appraised,
and locked at the dogs with startled
eyes, The next instant the report CT
Clyde's rifle rang out, the deer leaped
into the air, sprang forward and fell
into the stream, from which it was
soon dragged by the dogs
But the echoes made by the report
had not died out among the hills before
another sound aroused them again.
1t was the scream of an angry pam
Their from the mountain behind him,
and it was instantly answered by an
other on the right and yet another far
down the valley on the left.
Clyde heaped the dry limbs upon the
fire, and the dogs, usually as brave as
lions. whined piteously as they skulked
close to his feet.
He waited in breathless anxiety for
several minutes, but could hear moth
ing except the cracking of the fire,
which now threw wide circle Of
light, and the night wind among the
trees.
Soon, following a magnetism which
he could not account for, he fixed his
gaze upon a tall tree near the base of
the mountain and encountered the
glare of two fierce yellow eyes.
panther was crouching there upon
long limb, every nerve of his body in
motion as he prepared for the fatal
spring
To aim and fire at him was the i'm
pulse of a second, and the tawny brute
sprang outward, with snarl of rage
and pain, and fell squarely into the
fire.
There was an unearthly shrek,
smell OF burning hair, shower of
Goals and lighted wood, then the brute
stood, wounded and blinded, near the
tree.
.'At him, boys, at him!" cried Clyde
And the dogs closed on him. but,
wounded as he was. he was more than
match for them.
He killed one and sent the others
sowling to a safe distance before their
master could surely aim the second
bullet which quieted him.
He was not an instant too soon. how