The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-05-03

thu. grew reckless and angry. I yelled
derisively at my enemy, called It all the
abusive epithets j could remember and in
vented few entirely new and original.
but the animal still shuffied restlessiy
around, growing softly over my head.
Then. after a time, all was sim. kept
quiet and listened a long time. 1t seemed
though the night must be half gone-I
must have been there for hours Could 1t
be possible that the lynx had grown
weary of his vigilance and abandoned his
prey? The / pondered over this
idea the more convinced i became that !
correct. / listened intently for a
while longer, but could hear not a sound.
/ decided to make venture, but the tales
1 had heard related of the cunning OF
these animals made me cautious. So
carefully. slowly. fraction of an inch at
a time | raised the trap door. The moon
had risen and through the tiny crack i
had opened | could see that the floor was
clear to the doorway. l raised the door
couple of inches and was meditating
stealthy dash for the road. when long.
1.-the. snewy foreleg shot in between the
trap door and the floor. and several sharp
claws. embedded in the shoulder of my
momentum coat. scraped over my bare
skin.
Quick as flash / pulled the trap door
down again and howl of rage Weakened
the echoes of the barn. l had the front
leg of the lynx ia ahmed between the trap
door and the floor. It's claws were firmly
imbsdded in the strong. unyielding fabric
of my homespun coat, and-and there we
and IT couldn't get away from me. When
ever It Jerked round too much its claws
hurt my shoulder and / would pull down
tighter the trap door to make ii keep
still Then it would cry. and whine. and
dark. A glad thought came to me. When
pieadinsiy and imptoringty. 1t was the
maddest and most helpless wildcat that
ever chased a frightened urchin after
snarl. and growl-savagely, feroctousfy.
my folks came to hunt for their missing
boy, they would discover the big wildcat.
e.-;v W.,
as i. But it was trying work keep
ing that trap door down tight on the ami
malls leg. and think we would both have
been glad to compromise and call it quits.
but we couldn't. We were bound together
apparently till death did part. and the
only way out of it was to hang on to the
bitter end.
The cat had settled down with seem
ing acceptance of the inevitable. and
was trying not to fail asleep. when sud
denly across the still summer AIR foateo
the tune Of Annie Laurie very badly
whistled But the symphonies of the ceies
tial choir could net have sounded more
heavenly in my ears 1t was my rather
whistle. 1t was the only tune he knew,
and he didn't know that ] guessed ne was
on his way to the neighbor's to see why
/ had not come home. so | determined 20
attract his attention. l Immediately pro
ducod series of whoops and yelIs that
would have done credit to at lea st a dozen
Apaches on the warpath. Incidentally,
bore down on the leg of the dlsconsolate
in the chorus and yowled like dozen
cat fights the roof at the dead OF night
Between the two of us, the racket must
have been like pandemonium Itself let
loose with few Fourth of July celebra-
tions. and several dynamite explosions
thrown in. If my father had been any
thing but the sober canny Scotcnman ne
was. he would undoubted have taken
to his heels, but. after calculating FER
Nentiy. Lord preserve us a he ctimntH
over the fencs and started toward the
barn. He had a lantern and his OLD
musket loaded with buckshot+ ! kept on
calling. I'm here. in the cellar. mention
ing my name and in spite of the din, my
father comprehended that for some rea-
son or other l really was in the caiiar or
the old barn. AS he stepped cantfousIy.
across the doorway his eyes fell upon the
big lynx now Juggling franticaly to get
away and splitting at him like house
cat at a dog.
Where are you Bobby" he called.
7 explained my exact whereabouts with
out requiring much pressing. and he ct
once OWNED the situation.
Setting his lantern on the floor. he
stretched himself fiat on his breast On
the floor. with the musket level In front
of MIN s that the shot would not pass
through the flooring. Taking careful aim.
he fired. and-and the claws conVoistvetJ
clut ched my shoulder the great cat had
it's proverhial nine lives all blown to
smtthersens at oncs,
My father lifted out of the cellar.
and ! heard him murmur in his broadesc
Scotch. 'Puir BARN! Puir wee laddie!'
and then l tainted.
That lynx measured a trifie over six
feet from nose to tail. and was what the
whole neighborhood una ntmously declared
:whopper"--R. J, Dunsmore, IN Los
Angeles MINES.
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