The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-05-17

and remained caught by something
| curiously suggestive of life about 1t,
something virile and menaclng.
1t moved slightly, ever so slightly,
as she looked, and she saw the play of
tense muscles ripple over it in kind
of expectant quiver What she had
| taken for bark was skin covered with
sleek, brown hair. she distinguished,
all in moment, the outlines Of the
long, crouching form, the broad, catlike
head with its square, eager chin frosted
with white,and the two points of yell
low light fixed on Farley.
| The little fellow turned just then in
obedience to his sisters call, and
smooth as oil the crouching thing glid-
ed forward.
| The sudden anguish in Mrs. Tylers
heart strove to express itself in a gasp
ing breath that seemed to tear her
throat Maternal rage swept aside her
| fear, and she few round the corner of
the house prepared, if necessary, to
| throw herself upon the creature and
| fight it with her bare hands.
Before she could reach the front she
heard the panther scream, the raspy.
| sudden cry of creature alarmed and
in pain. The next moment she saw
its 1.-the body struggling on the door
step. The head was hidden. The stout
door, directed by some one within. held
the animals neck firmly between its
edge and that of the iamb.
80 mother! Quick! Help"
1t was Mercys voice. The brave lit
| tie girl had run down from the loft
Just as the panther thrust his head over
the threshold, and had succeeded in
slamming the door to upon its neck.
Mothers herew cried Mrs. Tyler.
keep the door shut tight, Mercy!
Tight! Mother'll help"
Frantically she looked about for some
weapon, a stick, stone-anything that
might aid her. Mercy was sobbing
with fright. The snarls of the trapped
beast grew more feroclous, and with
its long claws it ripped white splinters
from the pine boards.
Animal-like, the panther put its
whole strength into the effort to with
draw its head, thus unknowingly i'm
prisoning itself more securely. 1t could
easily have overcome Mercy's feeble
opposition if it had tried to force its
| way inward; but it feared to place its
body farther within what it naturally
believed was trap.
Mrs. Tyler was at her wits end when
she noticed the reins still hanging from
the handle of the door. The ends were
close to the creatures hind quarters,
but she darted upon them with thrill
of hope.
The musky odor of the beasts heated
skin almost sickened her as she caught
up the leather lines. Fortunately they
were long. She ran back until they
were taut in her hands.
Mothers got the door, dear!' she
cried. "Now listen. Make Farley go
up into the loft, and then take down
your fathers musket carefully-it's
| loaded-and crawl out the back win
dow and bring it to me. Do you UNDER
stand"
The panther seemed to realize that
his chances for escape We're diminish
ing. With legs braced against the
doorstep until the sinews showed like
ropes under the skin, he tugged fran
tically and swung his body from side
to side. Blood appeared on the edge
of the door, but the animal now seemed
insensible to pain. It's hoarse, choked
growing expressed nothing but rage.
1t seemed to Mrs. Tyler as if Mercy
would never come but presently the
courageous little girl appeared around
the corner of the house, carrying the
gun.
Mercy" said her mother, "do you
think you can shoot him while hold
the door?'
Mercy trembled. mo, no, I can't do
it," she exclaimed, her face growing
a shade paler than before.
"Then you must hold these reins
while l do it," said Mrs. Tyler. She
saw that the girl was weak from fright,
and she added, "You must be brave,
dear. See, mothers not afraid"
She forced the reins into the
trembling little hands and took the
weapon in her own. She was afraid
in spite of what she had said to Mercy.
Her heart beat hotly as she advanced
toward the furious beast; but never
theless she walked close up to the lean
painting side. She intended that one
charge should finish the work.
She held the muzzle just behind the
left fore leg, where the hair was thin
and fired. The panther made a con-
vulsive leap forward, pulling the reins
from Mercy's weak grasp, and landed
within the cabin. 1t died, probably, il
mid-air, for as it struck the floor it:
legs crumpled under it, and it fell in ;
twitching heap.
The ordeal over, Mrs. Tyler behaved
in truly feminine way. She dropped
the gun, and putting her hands to he
eyes, began to cry<hysterically.
"Why, mother" said Mercy, who, ol
the contrary, felt quite brave now, 81
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