The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-11-13

] busted itB ssss5ss laa
I room. = 49, 8 ~
writing, she heard a crsa IL ling sound
4 from the. schildrens rnom,s followed,
fby q 'mufffed JAR as II some crea-
tnre had leaped nponst the aoor.
Eurice listened in silence until
She lheards the voice of little Pearl
in a sleepy, whimpering complaint.
/ Poor dears!'' thought the elder
sister. THAT old nuisance of Guy
really deserves to be punished for
bothering them so" She rose soft
ly and got her rawhide riding whip,
intending, tenderlhearted though she
was, to flick the old hound harl
enough to make him remember.
She heard repetition of the scratch
ing sounds, and again that muffled
thud upon the floor, and in the same
instant, again the sleepy, half
smothered wall of little Pearl. A
chill struck to her very heart as the
situation dawned upon her. There
were wild creatures of some sort in
the room. Old Guy had not been on
their bed.
Lynxes, mountainous and bears
were among the hills, and any of
them, coming in easily from the
rocks, might long have used that
room for their lair! How careless,
how criminally careless she had been,
to leave that opening unbarred!
In the agony of self-conde
she did not stop to consider that
all in the house had slept with wide
open windows month after month.
While Eunice stood, uncertain
whether or not TO go for her fathers
gun and arouse Aunt Silver and Old
Guy, third smothered wall appealed
to her. She hesitated no longer, but
threw the door open and stepped in
to the room.
She held her lamp above her head,
and the sight, no longer unexpected,
which met her eyes was certainly hor-
rifying. Near the center Of the. room
stood great, mottled beast, its head
raised. its big eyes rejecting her
light, its fangs barred in a hiss OF
surprise, which deepened immediate
ly to thunderous chest growl-un-
mistakably deep mutter of warn
ing against the intruder.
Then, even more terrifying sight,
upon the children's bed another crea-
ture Of the same sort upreared it.
self. Half-roused and reclining upon
its launches. this one gave vent to
series of gruff outcries which re-
sembled the coughing grunts OF
sea-lion.
Greatly to the relief of Eunice, Es-
sic, who occupied the front Of the
bed, now leaped out and scudded
from the room. But little Pearl, un.
der her quilts, was held by one fore
paw OF the beast upon her bed, and
the poor innocent walled in piteous
Albright
In the instant that she stood, trans
fixed with terror and irresolute, Eu-
nice recognized that these big. mot
tied cats were Mexican tigers, or
jaguars. The beasts had without
doubt had their winter lair in the
long-vacant and easily accessible
storage-room, and the chill nights had
driven them back to It. Their nat.
ural prey was abundant, in the noun
tains, and there had been NO incen-
tive to attack the sleeping children.
But now they had been angered,
and Eunice dared not for an instant
leave the crying child to their mercy,
She knew that most wild animals
are fearful of fire, and she trusted
much to the lamp In her hand to
keep the jaguars at bay.
Stop crying. Pearl" she command.
ed, sternly, and sister will drive that
old dog away!"
! Holding her lamp to the front ami
with whip drawn to strike, she ap-
preached the beast upon the bed. Her
caution might have been greater had
she known what Mexicans could have
told her, that the jaguar Is frequent
~ fascinated by a moving light, and
win as often follow one as retreat
from 1t.
The animal did not indeed change
It's position as she drew nearer, but
rather increased the violence of its
grunting roars. It's great red NAV
and formidable fangs would certain
ly have frightened away a less reso-
lutte girl.
AS she came up to the bed, Eunice
set her teeth and struck the jaguar
a vicious cut upon its jaws. The ami
NAL, roaring with pain and anger,
shrank against the wall, but retreat
ed no farther. and its fore paw still
held the little girl. All wild beasts
of the fiercer sort are tenacious of
foothold in their lairs.
Eunice now leaned forward and
piled her whip with the practised
hand of horsewoman Her singing
cuts were aimed at the animals eyes.
/ Flesh and hlnad cnnId mt lnnnr ~,