Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-12-18

jim DULLES Hedru. daQ Jim BOtlleS
been an imaginative man, he could
easily have made himself believe that
he was the only human being in the
world.
Far up on the mountain side sound.
ed a shrill cry. 1t had the note of a
woman frightened or in pain. The
bay colts heard it, started and SHE'D,
then leaped forward.
Jim Bottles steadied them with a
word, and looked up at the black
woods with ar expression of unpleas-
ant surprise in his small eyes. Again
the cry rang out. 1t seemed to come
from the highest mountain beyond
the furthest ridge of tall pines. 1t
could be no woman's call for aid. No
human being could have climbed that
height in the cold and snow.
Jim Bottles touched the bay colts
smartly with the whip. This was
more to relieve his feelings, for they
needed little urging.
For a third time the cry rang out,
further down the mountain. 1t
caught the echo on the other side
and vas sent back and forth between
the wild hills a dozen times. The
horses were mad with fear. Jim Bot
ties dashed them with the whip vigor.
ously. Snorting with terror they ran
with the heavy sleigh as they had
never run before. Across the lower
lake they flew, into the passage,
crashing into the spring-hole, plunging
out again; though how in Sam Hill
they ever managed it," Bottles could
never tell-and off across the upper
lake. Bottles began to breathe more
freely, when from the wooded shore
on his right burst forth a series oil
fearful cries. The creature that made
them followed along on the margin
of the lake just within the wood
Now a little ahead, now just behind
while with every bound it gave vent
to a piercing cream which was
echoed back and forth until the whole
dark woods seemed alive.
Bottles knew that after crossing
the second lake he must retake the
road. This would bring him tc
within a few yards of the woods. He
looked behind at two launches oil
fresh beef which formed part Of the
supplies for big Slide" He thought
of the men who awaited it eagerly
Fresh meat was not an every day ra-
ton at "Big Slide" Bottles cared
little whether the men got their fresh
beef; there were plenty of pork an6
beans and canned goods, but he coulc
not face them and tell them he had
abandoned the food on the road
He shifted the reins into his left
hand and with his right drew up ar
old rusty-barrelled rifle which lay in
the bottom of the sleigh. There was
one shot in it. Jim Bottles drove his
team out onto the road. The bound.
ing, yelling creature of the woods
receded a few rods among the trees
Jim strained his eyes, but could see
nothing. The road was level here
and he urged his painting colts for.
ward with the whip. A mile beyond
was a clearing with a settlement Of
two houses where many of the men
came three miles down from "Big
Slide" of an evening to make merry
and to "enjoy society" Bottles felt
that if he could reach that point in
safety he could save those two quar-.
tiers of beef. He was getting a lit.
tie more used to his wild companion
by this time. Suddenly the sound OF
sleigh-bells struck loudly upon his
ear. Turning his head over his shoul.
der he was surprised to see right be.
hind him a cutter drawn by a pair OF
steaming horses.
Bottles would be able to let it &c
by him only by drawing up into the
drift, so he whipped his now tagging
colts and tried to force his heavy
sleigh along more rapidly.
Eli, let me get by, will yer, there's
a catamount a clawin' at my tail.
board!" cried a frightened and ex.
cited voice.
The note of fear in the other mans
voice strengthened Bottles courage.
"No, she amt. The cats so yards
off here to my right"
"I tell you I can hear her yelling
like all possessed less than a rod be.
hind me. If that's you, Jim Bottles,
you jes' turn out with that big load
and let them go by al has got a
lighter rig"
"When did anybody ever turn out
for me?" replied Bottles, grimly.
"Guess I've got as much right to this
road as you hev'."
The catamount came closer than
she had yet done.
"Jim Bottles, turn out, that's a
good fellar. I've got a woman with
me-" was the pleading cry from the
sleigh behind.
For the satisfaction of those fair
readers who may see these lines, and
who may expect to find in Bottles a
diamond in the rough, a pattern of
one of natures noblemen, I should
like to be able to relate that with
a gesture that would have graced a
prince Of chivalry he dotted his
greasy coon-skin cap and with the
back-woods equivalent for "place aux
danes" drew gallantly out to the
side of the road to let the lady pass
and then offered his own rough car
cass to the claws of the bowling cat
amount.
1 should very much prefer to tell
the story in the more heroic way, as
that m more natural to the
writer of fiction. But in this cas- I
have unfortunately agreed to tell the
Truth. What Bottles actually did
was to crane his neck a little further
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