The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-08-27
The Reign
Of King Leo
By DENNIS II. sTOVALL
Copyright, by Shortstory Pub. Coz


Am going down to the club for a
smoke and a game of pool" Markley
stroked the panther on the thick, fur
ry neck, and closed the door of it's
box. Then he donned his coat and
hat and left the Office.
Markley was a timber cruiser, and
his business carried him frequently in
to the Coast mountain forests. During
one of his cruises into the primeval he
came upon a old panther and cub.
For his own safety he was obliged to
shoot the old one. He dropped the
cub into a canvas bag, which he swung
to his saddle and brought down to the
pass.
The young panther grew and waxed
fat. He was early given the name of
King Leo" or just King" for con
v~enience.f At the end of a yea King
was a full-grown panther, powerful
as any mountain lion of the Coast
range, and as playful and docile as a
kitten. But he had an unpleasant hab-
it of bouncing playfully upon every
visitor to Markley's Office. 1t usually
resulted in seating the visitor uncere-
moniously on the carpet. While it was
Kings method of welcoming guests,
there were many who objected.
Hence, to prevent a complete
paralysis of business. Markley was
finally obliged to chain King during
the day, keeping him out on the fiat
roof of on adipinip1 hrildipU til NIGHT
Then he would bring him in, and the
two would romp and roll about over
the floor. 1t a great sport for Mark
ley.
Just across the hall from Markley's
rooms was the Office of Tom Fetterly,
high-bred goats-with pedigrees that
reached all the way from the Swiss
mountains TO Oregon. On the night
that King was locked in his box, while
his master played pool at the club, a
h~igh-priced, fancy goat was sleeping
peacefully just across the hall.
Fetterly had found a buyer for his
goa. Town in the Sacramento valley,
and, as the animal was TO be shipped
that night, he gave the eXpressman
a key to the office door, for Fetterly,
too, was one of those who played pool
at the club.
An hour before the ten o'clock Over
land arrived, the deliveryman and an
assistant CROPPED down the long, dark
hall and finally found a keyhole and a
lock which responded to Fetterly's
key, and from the black darkness
dragged a box to the express office,
where it was set on the scales to be
weighed and entered on the route
book, and tipped the beam at just $50
pounds.
He's the heaviest goat that ever
grew whiskers," n man remarked as
he glanced at the scales.
When Preston, the express mes
senger, received the box, read the
shipping directions, and essayed to
comply with the request to give IAN
ample feed of hay two hours before
delivery" he said ~unprintable things.
"A thing like this ought to go in a
cattle car" he declared. 81 hit my
bunk in half an hour, and ] won't turn
out at four in the morning to feed no
blamed billy goat! You lunch now,
Billy, or not at ALL"
Pulling a big wisp of hay from a
bale, he thrust it through an opening
in the box. Here, Billy, wake up"
At the fourth jab of Preston's stick,
a roar came from the box which
trembled as if a small tornado were
raging within. The messenger made
five long backward steps and suffered
five varieties of fear in as many sec
onds.
Then came a second and much loud
er roar, a crash of splintered wood,
and the box flew apart like an egg
shell when the Matched chicken steps
out.
There, in the full light of the car,
his great head held aloft, his long tail
swishing uneasily, his wide jaws apart,
and his sleek sides heaving with his
quick breath, stood King Leo. For the
first time he felt the Jingle of the hot
blood of combat.
Preston quickly sought refuge be-
hind a stack of apple boxes, piled
nearly to the ceiling at the rear end
Of the ar. At the other end, just i've
his bunk, were his rifle and revolver;
but the panther stood between.
1t was clearly evident TO the mes.
senger that something was going to
happen. King eyed the messenger
suspiciously, as if inclined to believe
him responsible for the whole miser-
able blunder. He stalked down the
car, lifted himself to his launches
and shifted the apple boxes. When he
crouched as if to leap, Preston drew
his knife, determined to die hard.
But King suddenly changed his
mind and, turning, strobe majestically
toward the other end. The messen-
ger gave a long sigh of relief.
When the panther reached the
farther end of the car, the train came
to an abrupt stop, with all brakes set.
At the same instant there was a loud
pounding on the side door of the ex-
press, the shouts of d~eep-voiced men,
and a rattle of pistol shots.
open up here!" commanded a voice
at the door. Both the messenger and
the panther were silent to the com
mand.
open up, and be quick about 1t or
we'll dynamite the carl"