The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1903-02-19

I few so fast. The country WA
partly covered with scattering bush.
es, and the road was rocky and soon
got dark; but little time did lose
for rocks or darkness.
The panther kept right after me.
Every scream sounded nearer. If
hadn't had half q mile the start,
the brute would have caught me.
AS it was, the moment jumped
Uncle Jimmy's fence the tiger
screamed not 60 feet behind.
Any other time I wouldn't have
dared to go near Uncle Jimmy's with
out calling, "Hello!" He had the
fercest dog in the neighborhood-
dog that would try to drag q man
off his horse. But this time that
dog didn't even growl; he was cover
ing against the wall, shivering and
whining like frightened puppy.
AS I cleared the fence 1 saw light
shining through the cracks. I made
straight dash for the clapboard
door. And when the latch broke and
the door flew in, went through like
rock out of sling. 4
Inside stumbled my toe and tun-
bled sprawling on the floor. The znid-
ding flew over my head. Uncle Jimmy
afterward told everybody that the
whole side of bacon hit the farther
wall so hard that it left q greasy
picture of itself on the logs. Uncle
Jimmy was great joker.
The old man and his wife were
frightened out Of their wits. They
had heard the screams, and thought
for a few moments that the tiger
had broken in on them. They were
just getting ready for him. Uncle
Jimmy was loading his rife as fast
rs he could, and Aunt Polly, his wife,
was trying to light q pine knot at
the fire.
While was scrambling to my feet,
Uncle Jimmy sprang forward,
slammed the door shut and propped
it with stick Of wood, but not be-
fore that dog Of his had sneaked in
and crawled under the bed.
Scarcely was the door shut when
the tiger let out another scream,
close by. Uncle Jimmy was running
about the room, dragging his rife
by the muzzle. He had bullet
rammed down, and was searching
every shelf in the cabin for box
of caps. Pretty soon the panther
screamed again, behind the cabin
now. Afterward we heard another
scream farther off
By this time Uncle Jimmy had
found his caps, and Aunt Polly had
her pine-knot blazing. When they
were both ready, Uncle Jimmy threw
open the door, and after looking
about cautiously, cooked his rifle and
stepped out. I offered to carry the
torch, but I wasn't very sorry when
Aunt Polly insisted that she knew
better how to hold it.
Uncle Jimmy tramped about the
yard, with his wife at his HEELS hold
ing the pine-hot above her head. If
the tiger was near, the torch would
make his eyes shine, and Uncle Jimmy
would put bullet right ;bet,peen
them. He was dead shot. sss ..;Its
I stood in the door, rubbing my
back. Ths man with his gun and the
woman with her torch moved slowly
round the cabin. Once Uncle Jimmy
thought, he discovered the tigers
eyes, but before he could take aim
they disappeared. It wasn't long be-
fore we heard scream down in the
woods. The beast was going away.
I stayed in the cabin while; then
Uncle Jimmy took his rife and es-
corted me and my bacon home. ]
was afraid to go by myself.
That was the first time the swamp
tiger had been seen or heard on
Chinkapin Ridge; but it wasn't the
last time by any means. Even we
boys were afraid to go far to gather
nuts, and the women and children
hardly dared poke their heads out
of-doors. The men carried guns, es-
pecially at night. The tiger didn't
show himself in broad daylight, al
though he was seen occasionally at
dusk.
Meanwhile he was living on the fat
of the land. He had Toasted on our
hogs and calves, and he even dragged
down and killed two full-grown cows
He was a giant of his kind, and his
size made him fearless.
We didn't know what became Of the
tiger during the daytime, but we sup.
posed he must retreat into the
swamp. One day Tim Watson saw
him lying on top of a big log in the
woods, asleep in the sunshine. Tin
had his rife, but instead Of blazing
away, he stole off and went for help
When he got back with several mer
and dogs, they caught glimpse 81
the tiger as he jumped of the log
and disappeared. The dogs growlee
and turned their hair the wrong way;
but they wouldn't follow the trail
Trust dog to know what not t.
attack!
Things went on from bad to worse
along Chinkapin Ridge. Every morn
ing some animal was missing, and the
half -devoured remains were generally
found. One evening at dusk the tige,
dashed up to Mason's cow-pen
grabbed a. roofing pig, and carried
the squealing thing off under it,
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