Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-09-25
CURIOUS, thrilling and true
story comes from Montana.
In some sparsely settled dis

calling. Last summer, IL what Is
known as the Haystack District of
the Upper White Clay Valley, Miss
Emma Barglof, young teacher Of
Swedish extraction, had only one
pupil during hay-time and harvest.
For five long weeks Miss Barglof
and little Nettie May had "kept
school, together. The log school
house, built in the mouth OF q deep
ravine, was shut in on three sides
by somber pitch-pine-trees.
AS the teacher could not teach or
her young pupil study all the time,
they made couch of pine boughs in
a cool corner Of the room, and relieved
the tedium Of existence by after-din-
ner maps. Al other times they wan
dered In search Of berries or fashioned
decorative Hreaths of ferns, or even
Joined in the Doisterous play of a live
ly fox-terrIer which was allowed to
follow them to school.
One morning in July, just rs they
had "opened school, and the Third
Reader "class" was reciting, the at
tention of teacher and pupil was dis
tracted by loud barking Of dogs out
upon open ground toward the creek.
"Bunts," the terrier, Immediately
bounced out-of-doors. and ran, joining
in the dog racket with his shrill yip-
yappings.
Almost Immediately there was fur
ious outcry directly in front Of the
schoolhouse. AS the noise continued
there, rendering attention to books
impossible, teacher and pupil went
to the door 10 satisfy their curiosity.
They discovered three strange dogs
barking at the foot Of 4 thlck-topped
pine which stood little way out
toward the valley road. Bunts was
also taking a vigorous part in the
demonstration.
Plainly some wild creature had TAX
en- refuge in that big pine. but the
eyes Of the teacher and the little girl
could not penetrate its dense green
foliage. While they thus stood look
ing and wondering, horseman came
galloping along the road and halted
near the tree. He was stranger
to them, and evidently the owner Of
the strange dogs.
:Here! Come herew he shouted.
,<Here, you. Jake. Snap. come here!
Ill beat you all good, now! Here!
herew
Then, as the crazy dogs paid no
heed. the man grew angry and cracked
4 long cattle whip warningly. This
availing nothing. he rode at them
furiously, sIashing right and left. The
dogs now ran or with tails between
their legs.
"Hope them dogs haven't broke up
your school, miss" the man halted to
call back to the teacher. ''Since I
been lookin' for my steers, they sure
have give me heap Of trouble treein'
,porcupines."
Miss Barglof made polite reply,
aud the horseman moved on. with
difficulty getting his dogs to follow.
Bunts, the pugnacious terrier. refused
to be called OF. While teacher and
pupil resumed their tasks. he con-
tlnued to yap fiercely at the hidden
quarry in the pine tree.
In fact, he barked himself hoarse.
and only came in when quite ex-
hausted, to lap water from a wash
: basin, and to lie down to q disturbed
and grumblng sleep. After the noon
lunch Miss Barglof and Nettie lay
upon their couch, and soon were
sleeping more soundly than the ter
rier.
From this nap the two were
awakened half hour later by fierce
barks and snarls just outside the
yellow and brown creature sprang,
splitting and squalling. upon window
sill, and thence to q desk top, whence
it again leaped to the top of big box
stove in the rear Of the room. There
the strange looking wildcat halted to
hump it's back and hiss spitefully.
Outside the terrier made several in
effectual leaps to follow his quarry
through the window; then, yapping in
frantic fashion, he came bouncing in
at the door. AS quick rs lightning,
almost, the cat jumped distance Of
ten or twelve feet. from the top Of
the stove to chimneypiece upon
which pipe flue rested. There. upon
q large fat stone, out of reach Of the
dog, the snarling creature took refuge.
Bunts fille6 the room with courage
Gus noise, and the teacher, gathering
assurance as she realized that the
cat was not truly very formiable.-it
was not more than twice the size of q
common house cat,-determined to
drive 1t out of doors, or at least to
assist the dog in doing so. Beneath
loose board behind her desk she kept
straight handled Ak for splitting
kindling wood in cold weather. She
got this weapon.
"Now, Nettie," she commanded.
'you go out to the road and keep
watch; If you see me coming in q
hurry, run with all your might for
home. I'm not much afraid, but the
creature might fight hard"
The little girl started to obey, but
had no sooner reached the door than
she turned back with n scream of
fright, ran to the corner couch, and.
: flung herself face down, half faiting
with terror.
a snarling scream of rage thrilled
through the room, and shook every
nerve in Miss Barglof's body. She
turned from the beast inside to face
one. many times It's size, that had
thrust It's great yellow head in at the
S doorway.
= 1t was a mountain lion-the dam Of
the spottnd cat. It's big, round eyes
scintillated with a greenish light. its
cruel fangs were barred, and the cren'
ture snarled and Kissed in most threat
a,;10 facbfop Tho p1uolv fnrrior