The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-11-06
A PANTHER'S
REQUEST
How CLYDE Brown Found
Fortune and Won u Girl.
ANHe&eNoAeAoeNe%oAo%o40%l


| and arbitrary as men are apt to be
when they acquire sudden riches. In
addition to his gold he possessed
rare treasure In the person of his
daughter Bessie, MS sweet n seventeen
rold maiden MS ever lived
Pretty Bessie did not lack for lovers,
and quite as naturally the favored one
was the very one that her father oh
| jected to-
Clyde Brown was frank spoken, with
an honest, manly face, true, loving
heart and little else.
"Why. Elizabeth" = her father al
ways called her that when dlsplensed-
chow can You forget that we are do
seconded from the Randolfs of Viz
ginia2 Just n little longer, daughter
II year or two MT the most and we will
go east and live rs other people do.
Then my jewel may find worthy set
ting"
Il want no one but clyde. papa
protested Bessie tearfully.
But tears made no impression on the
hard heart OF George Randolf.
However. he eondescended to give
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
| m hnt 10, put tft,t la. "a,
Clyde Browns manly petition "En-
til then I'll hear no more about IT."
you can never do It," sobbed Bessie
when they stood alone In the moon
light by the road n few moments later,
while her father watched nngrily from
the window Fortunes are wonder
fully made In these mines sometimes,
hut none Will fall to us"
Don't be discouraged, my precious
Queen Bess," clyde returned, with all
n liver's unrensonlng fondncss. only
trust in me through all and wait for
me- no matter what may happen. VIII
| you promise me thatf
Indeed Will dearest You knew
That | would before you asked" she
| murmured. but do not try me too
much, for father Is rs hard ms II rock.
81 must go away FOR awhile, my
darling. Somewhere IN yonder end
less chain of mountains fortune Is
waiting for me. ! feel it know 1t
as well ms II 1t We're already In my
grasp" he answered In solemn earnest
ness.
God grant that 1t 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 fnlly equipped for n prospecting
tour. aud quite alone excepting the
three large dogs which followed Sc
dately nj his heels.
For some time the prize which he
sought cluded him, but 1t came to him
Mt last IN strange manner
One day, after following the course
Of II noisy, shallow stream into n mar
row valley hemmcd In by lofty noun
tains. he cnmped nj the foot of n
gigantic tree nenr the water
The dogs whlned uneaslly and shifted
at II hole among the roots Of the tree,
but he called them away ana went on
| building II fire to cook supper from the
loose wood and branches around.
"N0w that the fire Is ready" hc
unused aloud, Il wonder II I'll find any
| game hcreabout."
As II In answer II half grown deer
came down to the stream on the oppo-
site bank not many rods away.
1t stopped, with one foot appraised,
and looked Mt the dogs with startled
eyes The next instant the report Cf
Clyde's rifle rang out the deer leaped
Into the air, sprang forward aud 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 pan
Their from the mountain behind him,
and it was Instantly answered by an
other on the right and yet another far
down the wiley on the left
clyde heaped the dry limbs upon the
fire. and the dogs usually ms brave as
lions, whlned piteously as they skulled
close TO his feet
lie 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, md the night Wind among the
trees.
Soon. following n magnetism which
he could not account for, he fixed his
gaze upon tall tree near the base Of
the mountain and encountered the
glare Of two fierce yellow eyes.
A panther was cr0uchIng there upon
II long limb, every nerve of his body In
motion rs he prepared for the fatal
spring.
TO aim and fire at him was the i'm
| pulse of second. and the tawny brute
sprang outward. with a snarl Of rage
and pain. and fell squarely into the
! fire
There was an unearthly shrek,
smell Of burning hair, a 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, lie was more than
II match for them.
lie killed one and sent the others
bowling to n safe distance before their
master could surely aim the second
bullet, which quoted him.
He was not an instant too soon. how
.ver for there came another terrific
scream, this time from the tree directly
over his head
I'm ready for you now" he cried,
coolly sighting another panther directly
between the sclntlllatlng eyes.
He fired and sprang aside, while the
animal fell, struck the ground with "a
heavy thud, clawcd the earth and air
conyulsiyely for few seconds and then
lay quite still.
This is getting interesting" mutter-
ed Clyde grimly, eylng the two huge,
tawny bodies, the dead dog and the
skullking living ones. while he threw
fresh wood upon the scattered fire and