The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1903-01-29

| hy Che original settlers of the cabin,
! ard | felt sorry for the deserted crca-
lures But ii was absolutely necessary
for thc SAX" of peace to gct them out
| of thc house, and | shouted at them
| and threw rhinS and bits of bark.
'ihr>r !&u no effect, and | picked
oui Il lump of the mud chnliing be-
tween the LOGS and flung il at the eat
upon the shelf. The missile hit pretty
hard rnd with Il yowl of hr$patrin=
rage III" animal SpranG from its perch
and aliyhtru %uUarrly upon tn" terrier.
VIII" had Vrnturcd too near in his rN-
citcmrn.. Jack yclpcd ut th" Shurk.
but fought hrroirally, conscious that
my eyes were on him.
could make ont only 4 tangled mass
OF white and ;,ray fur. spinning like Il
wheel and emitting Il freuzicd medley
Of every Imaginable sort OF canine and
feline ejaculation. The second cat
Joined sympathctically in the outcry,
and the uproar waS understandable. Eut
Jack was far uulmalchcd in everything:
but weight. and in Il Few seconds Ec
broke away again with piiiful howl
and lartcd behind me for protection.
rcrklc$S with ra%". the eat followed
him. kiricu out wildly. and the eat
fastened upon my legs with tooth and
claw. struck it with The butt OF my
gun ami beat il with the flaming torch
Fire flew in Ill directions. The cat let
70 with Il cowru Snarl. but the loose
hrmlorli had caught fire like gunpow-
de-. aEd Instantly The room waS fun
Of smoke.
| dashed to thr door. preceded by IN"
dr". and in the dark stumbled over
something; soft that Spai ut me. Once
fairly outside. | stopped aud locked
back. The irrrr rnual of the Shanty
seemed all ahlHzr. In, WAS pretty
certain that the light mass of 1wi.S
w"u.d burn up ard go oui withou;
G"ln" any Srliou>; damage. This. IN
fact. halNHnCd. bat even then had
20 Inclination to TC-rmtrr the huilGiiiw.
| did not minI admitting that | was
fairly whipped. II w"> almost crr-
tam that tllc cats hHi lied. like our
selves. from the cuntla.ratiun. but |
greatly preferred 10 getting wet to run
even Il remote risk Of anothrr cnco,n-
tr" with that ou'law family. And
I'll" rest OF that night Jack aud | spent
very unromf0rt;lhly under Il great
spruce. Wet and ShivrrinC
Az soon rs it. WAS light | went hHcl;
{" :,"t my knaD<aci;. My belongings.
h".n:S in the quito" room. had moi been
Touched Ivy the iiTc. and there was no
trace of our nocturnal tiS:urhrrS en-
rrnt the hod.: oi the dead eat )yinE
nn"E@ the scattered ashes. 1t was too
badly burned for examination. but il
beyond that OF .hc hparll-.l" puSS.
Jacks hole in tho floor had Il now
meaning for me now II seemed 10
lead TO 4 sort Of den under the house.
into which | could not soc, but which,
from the vile utlor of drcayrd bones
that came up. must have been in usc
for Il long time. lii fact, az everything
indicated that the cabin had hopn for
years abandoned by human life, it
sr"med 10 me probable that these
feline tenants were CT The second, pc?-
h;,pS OF The third, generation from
their uOmpStiratcd ancestors. \ eat
at the hest Is 0omcSticatci only OH
the surface. and these cats had prob.
ably fallen into The life Of the woods
with I'll" greatest facility. remaining
~ 'i'c ShaniH only through the cha!ac-
tr:lSiic attachment Of their race fn-
! their wonicd hnumt%
Certainty these animals seemed to
P">SfSS every qualification for flourish
| ing IN their E"W environment. and il
SEEMED certain that They would in time
| t"hd !" revert /" The original savage
| i!hc "i their race. 1t is not impossible
| 'hAt some time in The future SCmn
| h;'0a aust may report lhr discovery
or Il Ne" sort of lynx nr rtlamounr il,
! in" forests of northern Ontario. -
Nonihs Companion.