Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-08-07

the situation dawned upon her
There were wild creatures of some
sort in the room. Old Guy had not
been on their bed.
Lynxes, nominations and bears
were among the hills, and any OF
them, coming in easily from the
rocks, might long have used that
room for their lairl How careless,
how criminally careless she had been
to leave that opening unbarred!
In the agony of self-condemna-
ton she did not stop to consider that
all in the house had slept with wide
open windows month after month.
While Eunice stood, uncertain
whether or not to go for her father
gun and arouse Aunt Silver and old
Guy, third smothered wall appealed
to her She hesitated no longer, but
threw the door open and stepped into
the room.
She held the lamp above her head,
and the sight, no longer unexpected,
which met her eyes was certainly hor-
rifying. Near the center Of the room
stood a great, notified beast, its head
raised, its big eyes rejecting her
light, its fangs barred in hiss of sur
prise, which deepened Immediately
to thunderous chest growl-unmis-
takably deep mutter of warning
against the intruder.
Then, even more terrifying sight,
upon the children's bed another
creature of the same sort upreared it
self. Half-roused and reclining upon
its launches, this one gave vent to a
series of gruff outcries which resem-
bled the coughing grunts Of a sea-
lion.
Greatly to the relief Of Eunice,
Essie, who occupied the front of the
bed, now leaped out and scudded
from the room. But little Pearl, I'M
der her quilts, was held by one fore
paw of the beast upon her bed, and the
poor innocent walled in piteous af-
fright.
In the instant that she stood trans
fixed with terror and irresolute, Eu-
nice recognized that these big, mot
tied cats were Mexican tigers, or
jaguars. The beasts had without
doubt had their winter lair in the
long-vacant and easily accessible
storage-room, and the chill nights
had driven them back to it. Their
natural prey was abundant in the
and there had been no in
centive to attack the sleeping chill
dren.
But now they had been angered,
and Eunice dared not for an instant
leave the crying child to their mercy.
She knew that most wild animals are
fearful Of fire, and she trusted much
to the lamp in her hand to keep the
jaguars at bay.
"Stop crying, PEARL" she COM
manded, sternly, and sister will
drive that old dog awayv
Holding her lamp to the front and
with whip drawn to strike, she APP
preached the beast upon the bed.
Her caution might have been greater
had she known what Mexicans could
have told her, that the jaguar is fire.
quently fascinated by a moving light,
and will as often follow one as retreat
from it.
The animal did not indeed change
it's position as she drew nearer, but
rather increased the violence Of its
grunting roars. It's great red NAV
and formidable fangs would certainly
have frightened away a less resolute
girl.
AS she came up to the bed, Eunice
set her teeth and struck the jaguar
a vicious cut upon its jaws. The an
imal,- roaring with pain and anger,
shrank against the wall, but retreated
no farther, and its forepaw still held
the little girl. All wild beasts of the
fiercer sort are tenacious of foothold
in their lairs.
Eunice now leaned forward and
piled her whip with the practiced
band Of horsewoman. Her singing
cuts were aimed at the animals eyes.
Flesh and blood could not long en-
dure such punishment, and presently,
with hoarse whine, the jaguar leaped
off the foot Of the bed.
Eunice snatched the crying child
from under its quilts and backed away
to the door bidding Pearl to run ont