Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-19

hNR-qSYl moved from portsmouth, N. H., TO
the distant frontier town of Ossipee,
near the lake of The same name,
where the White Mountains look grandly
down upon the primeval wilderness, hardly
then disturbed by the AK and the plow OF
the settler.
The pioneers erected their cabins within
few rods of each other on the northern mar
gin of the lake, where broad intervale slop-
ed down to the waters edge-the richest land
they had seen in that locality
The soil was well adapted to wheat and
corn, which they would need for the use OF
their families; and farther up the hillside
was wide ridge which promised excellent
pasturage for their cattle, large number
of which they had driven from the seaboard.
The cow-shed, which was built first, for the
protection of the stock from the encroach-
ments of wild beasts, was situated about six
rods from the cabin of the elder Cummidge.
The only entrance to this was by a narrow
and half square. This was securely closed
in the nighttime by a heavy plank slide, SO
that no wild animals could possibly find ingress
while the family were asleep.
They knew well that the mountains were
infested with wild beasts of every description
known to our northern wilds at that early
epoch. The howl of the wolf and the scream
of the catamount were familiar sounds to
them-familiar as household words to the
children of civilized communities.
.eI IIhey, relied much on young dog named
I1ge, cross between a foxhound and a
mastiff-a huge, muscular fellow, and active
as cat. They learned, however, that there
were animals in the REGION ranging over its
tlmbered mountains, which cared little for
Ilge, large and spirited as he was
Every night the stock was driven into this
shed, this part of the labor devolving mainly
upon the two boys, sons of the settlers, Rich
ard and David by name, aged respectively ff-
teen and sixteen years.
For the first month or two they were not
troubled with depredations, although the set
tiers had been called out in the middle of the
night several times, by fierce uproar from
Iige. Only once, however, had there been
any cause for alarm. This was when a black
bear had approached so near the shed that
they caught sight of it in the dim moonlight
as they ran out; but the animal made of
into the timber without giving them chance
for shot.
One day, toward the latter part of July
in the busiest part of the haying season
Orson and Prue, the little ones, went blue
berrying, accompanied by Tige, to a distant
hill, out Of sight from either of the cabins
They found the berries uncommonly plentiful
and were intent upon filling their pals be
fore noon at which hour they had promised
to be at home.
In their eagerness to find the best pick.
ings, the children became separated. This
was not at all unusual, and 0rson himself
the older of the two, was scarcely aware OF
the occurrence until his attention was aroused
by his sisters delightful ordinations of sur
prise and pleasure:
"Oh, the pretty, pretty kittiel"
In another moment, little Prue came hur-
rying forward, bearing two struggling little
creatures in her arms, about the size of half
grown cat.
The cries they uttered were spiteful and
vicious, and not unlike those of a child who
has grown old enough to be rebellious, and
to kick and struggle in the nurses arms
Iige pricked his long ears and uttered a
savage growl.
Orson relieved his sister of one of her feline
burdens and carefully examined the fierce little
animal.
They were evidently very young specimens,
for their eyes were not yet open, though they
were capable Of using their claws to some
purpose, as the divers scratches on the hands
and arms of their captor would have already
demonstrated
"I shouldn't wonder if they were young
catamounts," said Orson, with the least bit
of agitation, loling around as if he already
expected to see the form Of the parent brute
bounding toward them.
At that very instant they hear. lo"d