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

adam lynx once so DREADED Dy
the early pioneers of upper Can
ada. has almost entirely dis
appeared from the province of
Ontario, the banner province OF the Do
mfnion. But at the time of which write.
the 1.-THE, fierce wild cats were more
dreaded by the farming community than
all the other wild animals combined. Men
who would cheerfufly tackle bear if
caught in the act OF committing petty lar
ceny on the hog pen. would hesitate to in
terfere with the operations of a lynx
among the chicken roosts. bear some
times had the grace to feel ashamed Of
| his lawless conduct. but the lynx was
| ever a brazen-faced desperate, ready to
| do battle with its terrible claws the mo-
ment 1t came to close quarters.
When ! a freckle-faced urchin of
ten years, with chronic toe done
| up in a rag. and likewise chronic aver
| sion to taking bath anywhere but in the
swimming hole at the creek. I used to
make myself useful on a neighboring farm
| during the harvest when the long sum-
| mer school vacation days gave me plenty
of leisure. My father had plenty of other
! boys to assist in his farming opera
| lions. whereas Providence had most in
| considerably insisted in bestowing rosy
! checked daughters upon the neighhoring
farmer. who would have preferred big.
| -boned sons. who could swing scythe
| and handle a yoke of oxen. When L say a
nefghborng farmer. his farm was really
| three miles distant. which was about as
close as neighborS got in those days.
Toward the end of harvest-and harvest
| IN those slow-Soing days lasted well into
August had completed long week in
the hot wheat fields. and when Saturday
! night came 1 was paid my $3.50 in silver.
twenty-five cents day and board was
my money and proudly tying it up in my
handkerchief. said goodnight" and
started home, to pour my little pile of
] earnings into my mothers lap-the hap
piest moment of the week. The farmer
tried to persuade me to remain over night
] on various pretenses. though it not
considered DrinCelN
age in those days. although. looking
| it now, and remembering that a days
| work began at daybreak and ended at
sundown. it seems as though the money
| was fairly earned.
| 1t growing dusk when ! received
| till afterward I learned that he was
| easy lest l should encounter a lynx on
| the road homeward. as It had been
rumored that several had been seen and
! heard in the neighborhood that very
| week. However he didn't mention lynx
| to me. and while would have preferred
/ to stay. could not postpone the pleasure
of handing my earnings over 10 my moth
| err seeing her pleased smile. and hearing
| her fond words of praise. I was only
! mere lad. and mothers praise was still
| sweet to me.
Down the dusty road I battered in my
| bare feet. as the sun sank behind the
| forest of beach and maple in the west.
! The long shadows of the tall trees faded
away. and gave place to the gloom of
| twilight. l whistled some to keep up
and dismal sound, and I gave it up. just
| ahead of me was forest, the thick, ieafy
| branches of which overhung the road and
! formed dark. impenetrabie canopy. Be
meath all gloom and intensely
silent Despite my assumed courage, l
| was awed and a trtte frightened, so
| chose the Softest and busiest part of the
road and spurted along little Hvelier.
/ know all about the dreaded lynx, and
I feared lest I should encounter one In
that particular dark stretch of road. I
strained my ears to catch the slightest
sound. and, holding my breath almost till
my heart seemed about to burst, / sped
swiftly forward.
Just as neared the end of the forest
bounded road. cracking in the branches
overhead, end slightly in advance of me,
caused my heart to stand still with fear.
and my bare, brown legs to go faster.
| Ere I had gone a dozen PAGES I heard
something drop into the soft. dusty road.
and ever since then I have never needed
definition of the threadbare phrase.
dull, sickening thud. That describes
the sound perfectly. Without hesitating
a moment or turning my head. ran
straight to the rail fence which bordered
the road. 7 was now at the edge Of the
clearing. 1t was the back field" of our
own farm and was newly plowed A short
distance from the road stood log barn.
with cellar underneath, which had been
built for the storage OF roots and vege-
tables. while the upper part was filled
with hay.
cleared the fence with no remern-
brance of ever touching it. AS I struck
across the field I glanced over my Shout
der. just in time to an i'm lynx
poise itself on the top rail, it's ugly head
and short ears and curved tail showing
in fearsome relief against the strip of sky
behind Just a second the brute paused,
then ii leaped from the fence and struck
after me. As the lynx. ike all members
of the feline tribe. is quick and active
on Its feet. coming along with leaps and
bounds. 1 would not have had ghost of
a chance of reaching the barn first ex-
cept for maneuver my part worthy
of an Indian diplomat. l battered swiftly
all ag a smooth furrow, while the great
cat tioundered along up to it's knees in
the soft, loamy, newly-plowed soil. In
this way l gained few seconds enough
to enable me to reach the barn first I
had no time to swing the great door shut
but made direct for a trap door in the
floor. which / knew led to the cellar l
dropped hastily on my hands and knees
felt nervously about in the dark for the
ring. and exerting all my boyish strength
tried to raise the Ieavy trapdoor Heav-
ems! 1t stuck fist. and 1t seemed that |
would never get it open in time. Driven
to desperation, I gave the ring a superhu-
man tug, and IL yielded. / had Just time
to raise the door, slide underneath and
pun IL down over me, when I heard four
punches of claws simultaneously land on
the bare floor of the barn. Another spring
and the baffied brute was shifting around |
the floor. trying to locate me. The willy
creature seemed to be aware that I could |
not be far away. and in less time than it !
takes to tell II, had scented me under |
meath the trapdoor.
With a savage whine of joy il began to !
tear and scratch with its powerful claws |
at the edge of the trap door. A chain |