The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-08-25

all the trees, especially the ever
green's. bending down the branches,
and every stump and bush was
wreathed in binding white. AS the
cows used frequently to follow up the
valley to northward, we entered it and
kept on to where it opens out upon
the Sachem's Pond, at the foot of the
Great Crag, which rises right up from
the waters edge some two hundred
feet, sheer precipice, naked and
rocky, with just footway between
it and the pond which is very deep
off there. About the pond and the
crag the trees are mostly low black
spruces. This morning they looked
like white tents lined with black, in
infinite multitudes. And this appear
ance, with the ground all white, and
the not yet frozen water looking black
as ink, made everything appear so
strange that, although we had several
times been there before, we now
scarcely knew the place.
CAS- yet we had seen no trace OF
Brindle. But just as we came out on
the pond at the foot Of the crag we
heard fox bark, quite near at first,
then at distance; we had startled
him suddenly. Cub sprang ahead
among the snowy spruces, but came
back in few moments, and looking
UP into our faces, wfhined and ran on
again. He's found sometaing! ex-
claimed Johnny.
1--WE hurried in on his track, and
few rods farther up saw him stand
ing still. shifting at something, and
there, under a thin covering of snow,
near the water. lay old Brindle torn
and mangled and partially eaten. A
feeling Of awe crept over us at the
sight.
"'Dead!' whispered Johnny.
Something's killed fler!' l WINS
pered back.
There were fresh fox-tracks all
around, and the carcass had been re-
Gently gnswed in several places. Some
transient little Reynard had been i'm
proving the chance to steal break
fast. But what savage beast had
throttled old Brindle and torn her to
pieces? No bear nor lucivee had done
1t. It was not their work, we well
knew-some stronger AMI fiercer I'M
known animal.
mot a sound, not breath of air
to stir the loaded boughs, and the
wild gray face of the precipice tower
ing above us seemed to grow more
terrible in the stiffness.
''But looking more closely. we now
discerned, partially obscured by the
more recent snowfiakes, some broad,
heavy footprints, larger than old
Brindle's hoof, going off along the
narrow path between the crag and
the pond. With a sort of fascinated
curiosity we began stealing on tip
toes. from one to another of these,
Cub keeping close to US and glancing
up beseechingly in our faces. At the
distance of q few rods the tracks
stopped all at once. Beyond GER
tain. point there were no footmarks.
Cub whined, almost getting under
our feet in his efforts to keep near
us. Instinctively our eyes wandered
up the rock beside us. But ere we had
seen the spectacle there, cry-a
shrill. piercing screech-broke the
stiffness. and 10! on a jutting rock,
full twenty feet above us and in the
very attitude of springing. crouched a
large gray creature, its claws work
ing on the bare rock, its ears laid
back and its long tail switching to
and fro with restless, dangerous
motion. One momentary glance!
Then came another scream; and we
felt, rather than saw, that the fierce
creature had sprung-and was in the
air. In that second we also sprang
backward, frenziedly, falling over
each other and sprawling on the snowy
rocks. There was a heavy pounce
down in the path before us, yell Of
agony from Cub and a loud growl,
with a noise of graphing.
"Poor Cub had been the victim.
Scrambling to our feet, we saw the
animal leap upward, back to the top
of the rock at one spring; where
again graphing and gathering up the
dog in his mouth 1t bounded up to an
other rock. Then, going up the crag.
it leaped upon projecting ledge,
along which 1t ran to great cleft or
cavern, hundred feet above the path.
in the mouth of which it disappeared
with its prey. 1t had all been so sud-
den and so appalling that for some
moments we stood bewildered and
staring at the spot. Then remember
ing our danger, caught up our unused
guns and turned to run from the fear
full place, when another wild scream
rooted us to the path, and looking up
we beheId the catamount glazing
down at us from the mouth of its
den, and running along the ledge to
the point where 1t had sprung up.
enlightened as we were, we still
had sense enough to know that it was
of no use to run. From his lofty
perch the panther crouched. switching
his tail and cycling US much as a cat
might watch a couple of mice. For