Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-05-10
/ pitched headtoremost through the at'

I pftched headforemOst through the atr.
room enough for both Of us. / crawled
ND an tried to dry my clothes. AT
first the lion noticed nothln', but roared
for help. Then he got a sight OF me
an skunk to the other end Of the reef.
"You keep there" says, feelin' bet
ter by talkin' to him as If he was
human bein', "an' don't you come on
my end"
We both felt better after we got
dried off q bit. The sun was pretty
hot an it scorched the water up like
a hot iron. First thing, then. that big
critter began to lick himself, an then
he eyed me out of the corners OF his
eyes. I didn't particular like the way
he did it. 1t seemed as if he grinned
an then shook his head to show me
that he warn't hurt.
Well, suppose nothin' would have
happened if the tide hadnt come up
an made Bartons reef look like
turtles back. The water jest rose up
uISucI I'LL niSuSi, az wy
had to move closer together.
The lion didn't like gettin' his paws
wet an was for retreatin' toward me,
an 1 didn't fancy closer quarters with
him an jest stayed as near my edge
of the reef as dared.
Now. as | have remarked, the
Floridy mountain lion amt no kind or
a fighter, but when he's cornered I've
some respect for him. l saw right
away that trouble was a-brewin'
When the reef got too small to hold
both of us one or t'Other had to git, an
I didn't fancy bein' the one to go
a-foatin' adrift on the gulf in that
latitude.
"Now, you great big yellow cuss,'
| said. addressin' his liOnship, partly
to keep up my courage, Il amt huntin'
for trouble, but If you seek it III DO
my best to make things mighty on
pleasant for you on this little SAND
speck."
Right then a change come over the
critter. He seemed to accept the chal-
lenge an began to growl and crouch.
/ Jest faced him an got ready for his
spring. But the tide comm up from
behind Tapped wave over his tail an
made him turn rOun' like q shot He
crept an inch closer an watched for
things to develop.
We hadn't more'n five feet between
us. an was tremblin' most as much
as that big brute when somethin'
bobbed up near the reef. We both
looked at it, an when I saw it was the
lions old wooden cage foatin' back
agin I jest made up my mind to jump
for it. 1t was pretty hefty box an,
big enough to carry me.
edged away toward it. an when 1t
was as nigh as thought it would come
I waded out in the water an made
grab for it. By lynn slantwise on 1t,
with my feet in the water an my head
bout three feet above 1T, l was
tOl'rably comfortable, an / addressed
myself to the marooned critter ag'in:
Now you kin have the reef an all
that goes with it. Pm off for the
Floridy coast or a trip to sea. Any
things better'n bein' drowned on that
reef or bein' chewed up by cowardly
lion"
guess my words sort Of startled
him, for he growled an whined an
seemed anxious to accompany me. He
was sort Of sorry at my desertin' him.
At any rate he crOuched down on the
reef, his tail in the water an his head
mighty close to the other edge OF the
reef an then I saw him spring an
thoot through the air just like sky
socket.
There was a crash an disturbin' UNI
dulashion Of the gulf. I saw stars an
sharks an numerous other unpleasant
things. When got grip ON the noat-
in box agin was half drowned, an
that old lion was hangin' for dear life
on the other side of it. He was bout
as frightened as / was. His paws was
within two feet of my hands, an l
could feel his breath fannin' my cheeks,
but he warn't for fightin' any more.
We hadn't improved our positions
much, for that wabbly old craft warn't
built for two Both Of US couldn't
keep our balance at onct. When the
lion was up / was down, an when l
bObbed up above the gulf his head
went under. We went seesawin' Hike
this for some time, neither one able to
catch his breath.
Then 1t occurred to that tarnal crit
ter that l was tryin' to duck him, an
he began to hit out at me, snappin' an
snarlin' fit to give one the shakes
After pawn some of the hide off my
hand he got more brave an tried to
climb over on my side. That was his
ondoin', for the box tripped clean over
an landed both of us in the water.
The box foated away, an we had to
make swim for it.
/ got there first, for had begun to
scent sharks. I dreaded 'em wOrse'a
all the lions in Floridy. / jest yelled
am jumped up on the box an tried to
hold my feet In the air. I kicked an
splashed to brighten the lion away, but