Catoctin clarion., 1901-01-03
A CERTAIN GOOD Man
TCoNTJNURD FROM 1sT PAGE,

tumbled logs, great snakes Wrigeleu
and Kissed about our feet. while mon-
strous alIigators wallowed over each
other in the deeper pools, or weltered
and shifted in the black mud among the
cypress trees.
Something in Borden's cries had
most appealing power; 1t fairly dragged
us toward him, and we thought scarcely
at all OF our own danger.
The rain was ftful, as the thin scrd'
ding clouds parted, flung apart by the
palpitatons in the upper air. Presently
it ceased altogether and the sky becare
clear with the clustered stars unnatur-
ally Aaring and brilliant.
>Tom Logan knew that we suspected
him. said Storrs; Ut was horribly cruel
of us: low and unmanly.
u don't blame him for resenting it. |
replied, stepping up to my knees into a
potuoie VI uSiJ o'oo'
A great owl laughed overhead, It's
raucous hilarity rattling away through
the woods. Again the man-eater
screamed and once more Borden hal
looed. Then we heard the voice OF
Logan call out
Where are you. Borden?
Here, Tom. Look out for that dew
,lish cat came the quick response.
We hurried on, waving our torches
whenever there was room among the
tangled vines and dripping alr-plantS
that swung from the trees.
We were closing in on the man-eater,
Borden from one direction, Storrs and l
from the opposite and Logan from a
point to the right of us. The beast
seemed to glory in the prospect OF
munching US all, for now its savage
screams and walls were redoubled. Ev.
identity it was up in tree, some ten
or fifteen feet above ground, lying, per-
haps, along a stout branch. as is the
panther's habit.
Mind that cat bawled Storrs, for we
were drawing close in upon it. Keep
yonr eyes open.'
You can never exactly know weere a
panther is by It's voice. there is sort of
battling ventriloquism in it that seems
to shift the locus with each wavering
and elusive strain Or snarl. Still in this
instance there could be no doubt of our
near approach to the beast. Meantime
we could hear Logan elashing along and
Borden's voice was but few rods away.
Watch close for the panther, men, |
called out. YOU are upon Its very toes. =
A moment later came sound, dull,
heavy, startling Have you, in the deep
silence of after mid night, turning over
in your blanket in the forest mold, heard
some old rotten tree fall with with a
sodden thump to the ground? 1t is a
strange aud memorable experience. Bat
what if you heard a great beast leap
down upon a man! Nothing else like
it ever came to human ear; not even the
puffy crash, when round shot carries
away the soldier on your right or your
right or your left il battle, can compare
with it.
Immediately there rang out the report
of gun; knew Logan's rife by GER
tain metallic rasp when it fired. A
crashing scutlle began at once, and by
the sounds knew that Logan his shot
having failed, had precipitated himself
upon the brute as it tore away at Bor-
den. One seems to see with ones ears
in such case.
Storrs and ! rushed forward side by
side, yelling like demons to relieve the
tension of our feelings, and came upon
the struggling three under low, wide
reaching water oak draped in Spanish
moss. Strange that the first thing |
noted was the fetid breath of the enor-
nous cat; it was an atrocious smell.
RIP, rip, rip, heard the things claws
at work along with the smashing grind
of its Jaws.
With a mighty shout | flung my torch
at the writhing group, and handled my
dcuble-barreled rifle.
BE steady; remember your aimv
cried Storrs. Make sure of backbone
or brainv
He knsw that my forte was accurate
shooting, and if do speak of it myself,
my nerve was good. But how take aim
at that leaping, wallowing scrambling
beast! And how keep from hitting one
or the Other of those desperately strug.
Cling men
I saw Logan's knife twinkling back
and forth like lightning in cloud and
Borden piled short dirk, or dagger,
with cool energy that was noticeable
even in such tearing fight.
We sprang forward to aid the torn
and poetrate men, Logan was done