The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1902-07-25

and } feet 10 inches high. The iron
watcf-tanks were placed. one on
each side Of the cabin, cutting oil
all communication with the lazarei-
TO. Hence the only exit was through
the hatch. In the corner neal by
was a pile of chips and blocks. reach
ing almost to the dcck-bcams.
was glad when the last measure
ment was taken. for the crampcd
space between decks made il neces-
sary for me TO move about bent al
most double.
knceling in the cornc farthcst
from the hatch. ] recorded the fig
urc. in my notebook, slipped II into
my pocket, took my lantern and
turned to make my way out.
Then. without the slightest warn
ing, ! got the fright Of my life.
Piercing the darkness like a knife
| blade. making my hair bristlc and
raising the gooscilcsh, came a long
drawn wailing miau and the flash Of
two yellow eve. from the chippile.
Forgetting howlong the deck was,
| lcapcd erect. struck my head
against a beam and, half-stunned,
icll back on my lantern. smashing 1t
to fragments and putting IT out.
For q momcn, | lay without the
power Of thought. Then ! raised
myself on my hands and knees and
looked in the direction Of the chips.
About 90 feet away four yellow eyes
glarcd into mine.
Canada lynNcs! ! knew that one
was occasionally shot in the woods
of the county. but the hold of YES
,cl wa the last place in which to
look for the animals. They had
probably come ont OF the neighbour
ing forest the fret Of The evening
aud wandered aboard in search OF
food.
VIVA, was | to doE My courage
came back a little a. ! realized that,
unlcsi corncrrd. the beasts probably
would not attack me. Still they
were very unpleasant companions in
such narrow quarters, and did moi
care to approach the hatch while
they we're in their present position
one Of my hands touched m iron
wedge. raised this, balanced it fol
n moment. and launched ii at tn,
eyes. The p%andemonium that fol
/. lowed nearly frightened mt out o.
my witt. The place seemed aliv,
/, with snarling, s~crc2ching, splitting
, dcyil-. When matters Gained dow
a bit. the two pairs of yellow eye
| glarcd steadily through the darkness
. between me and the hatch.
, There the two lynXcs crouchcd
side by eide, with the breath kissing
, between their teeth.
, The only weapon | had was
. pockctknifc with n four-inch blade
. Although this would have been prac
o tically u.clcs, in a scrimmagc,
q opened it and held il my hand, me
I chemically feeling the edge to rom
fort myself u little.
( The two cats now began to prone
made up and down, II feet away
Il turning in their beat with the reg
n ularity Of ,cntincl,. and all the Will
keeping their eyes fastened on me
a At the same time they miaued ia
gcthcr: and the way they ran up nm.
down the scale from low to high. AN
# from high 10 low, would have bee
interesting under any other cond.
V tions. They varied from u thin
wniling soprano 10 u grum, angr
!. bass that sent my heart up into N
r throat more than once during til
j. performance.
i Then the promenade and mus
y stopped, and they did a thing thr
d made my scalp tingle and my teet
It strike together in spite of myscl
Each cat, first one and then III
e other, deliberately reared itso
(. against an upright and sharpcne
its claws. | could hear the har
n pine splinter under their muscul'
Ie forcarms. The animals did not 10,