The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-03

wild beast gifts him foul tnataWay, an
him without gun. You bet I know all
about that, an I know a man that says
he warnt skcert in sech a fix is either
id fool, er a id liar.
Got skeert right outer my boots down
on Big Pine bout five years ago, an
hain't quite got over 1t yit. mat was
by panther. Didn't know there was
any sech beast in this country?
Neither didn't I, an wouldn't believed
it nuther + I hadn't seen him. Was
drivin' down there that spring and was
sent up to look after the dam while the
rest of the crew was mcnkeyin' round be
low clearin' up river an gettln ready
to drive. 1'a'
Hadn't no gun along; never did lug one
nohow; never seen the good of one till the
pinch come an I was shy of it. Didn't
carry nothin' but bout fifteen pounds of
dynamite to blow rocks outer the river
below the dam, and ten pounds of tobacco
Well, I'd started a little late, an the
boys had set EN- up $50 free, seem was
leayin', that jes' had to curl up in a soft
spot an sleep it off soon's got we'll out
of sight of town.
THAT lost me about four hours, and
had to leg it like good one to git to the
dam fore night. So went fast's could
throw my feet, an I'd made it, too, all
right, but bout eight miles this side Of
the dam hears a kid cryin' way off in
the bresh.
"Course f I'd stopped and thought I'd
knowed there warn't no kid in twenty
miles O. there, but didn't. I only
bulled off in the direction of the cryin',
an travelled five or six miles outer my
way, ahearin' the blame kids whine ever
now an then, but never comm up on him.
I yelled to him to hol' en- till my throat
was raw, but find him I couldn't, an
was gettin' putty we'll worked up about it
wen I runs onto the track O. some kind
O. big beast in a little muddy place I
comes to.
Finds Panther's Track.
Then I tumbled, right off. 1t was a
panther a hollerin' the way they does,
jes fer the hell of it, er it might be to
tole fools like me off into the swamp an
chaw 'em UP, like some folks says they do.
I dunno how it is. never seen none be-
fore that one, ner since, ner / don't want
to neither. But you bet got outer there
af1yin an never let up till I hit the tote
road to the dam again. But I'd lost SO
e much time it was comm dark Wen / m
more'n five miles away fun the dam, an
scent elected to camp out right where
/ was. - Eess sz,z@.-. 49,. q ss 4 So s.s$ss
sBnt that don't bother me none. I've
done it lots O. times so gethers lots o.
dry wood, makes big fire, eats lunch
I has in my pack, an then sits by the fire
asmokin'. happy as clam at high tide,
and clean forgettin' all about he panther,
But he amt forgot me, fer sbime-by I
hears that kid boiler agin, an then agin,
, an ,agin, all the time comm nearer an
nearer, an eskeerin' me till I m that
narvous I'm fit to jump right. outer my
skin. I'd had sence enough to roll some
good big chunks to keep my fire goin', an
now I hove EN- on the fire an set thar
} atrimblin' an asweatin', an awishin tibet
, id thing would show up an declare him
| Golf 7 min IN for
r I didn't know what D..
: 81 tell you there amt no danger rattles
a man like one he can't see, an don't
I know nothin' about, but does know it's
acomin', an is dangersome, special eff all
: he cam do is jes to set an wait fer 1t. But
t finally he did show up, an say, fever
r you Sc cat play with a rat he'd ketched
n was too lazy to kill right off, you've
saw the way that id big cat played with
l me. He knowed mighty we'll I didn't have
d no gun, fer he jes' p'raded round the fire
free an easy's f he owned it, an ever
now an then he went down on his back
j n rolled over n over ST the joke was sc
good he had to do Isomethin' keep FUN
g laughin' right out in my face
Il could see plains day what he mean
by his antics. He was ies' as much al
sayin' to me: It's all right old stockin'
t You're my meat, but amt in no hurry
l I'll git you soon's that fire goes down
q fer you dassent come out after NOR
I wood, an I know the longer keep patrol
O. lin round here, the worse skeert, an
: easier handled you're goin' to be- u:
q Uses Dynamite.
e "An' finally the hellion sits up an be
d gins to wash his face jes' like any hous
u cat. Now the cheek O. that, him aclear
o in of his face, an gettin' ready to ca
e me right fore my eyes, makes me so ma
W the skeer flies outer my head, an I git
5, sparkle O. sense back. An then
u thinks about the dynamite. The cuss
: sittin' 'longside big stump not thir
n ty feet away, alickin' his paws, an
:. arubbin' 'em over his face, an alooki1
u at ver'thing but me, same's you Sc
"a the house cat wen it's a e'etchin' to g
IS at canary bird in a cage:
l. 81 grabs out stick O. the blaster, fxe
le a cap on each end with soap had fetche
along fer that very use, an taking carefl
% aim at the stump sends the stick wit
- all the strength I can put into the throw
s can then, whole Fourth of July, al
=, Judgment Day rolled into one, break
:. loose, an my light goes out like cand
- in a high wind. Wen l.. comes to II
y away off in the bresh, an when pick
"a myself UP and finds where the stump wa
- there amt anything there but a celia
! There amt hide :ner hair Of the panthe
- nowhere, and amt cryin' none over tina
q you bet.
ID "But if we don't shake up them Inju1
- We'll get in too late to suit Mike, a
then there'll be music. Let's narchong
And we "marchonged" accordingly.
--..G. ...-. &C C. Kell
ee pRhcrIrAI, DIFFTCITI ,TY