Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-09-10
ing at him over her glasses, How
should lypou1 %,

.
should knowa''
ITS pretty big. guess" said Philip.
Dear heart alive!" said Aunt Lois,
IT suppose it is. There aren't many
partridges about here now" j
1t wasn't strange that Aunt Lois
and Aunt Eunice didn't know much
about the footprints OF pa'tridges and
the woods and all such things. But old
John knew. Deep in his heart David
thought old John knew about all the
things really worth knowing.
Early the next morning David sat up
straight in bed He shook Philip
awake. Then he shook him quiet.
"Hush," he said, Il don't want to dis
turb any one. but I'm going out to
find partridge track. It didn't seem
quite fair not to give you the chance
to go along if you wanted to. Do
you?"
Philip was ready as soon as David.
Quietly they stole out Of the house..
The sun was just coming up red as
fire beyond the dark woods. AS far as
the path went, they went in it. When
it stopped, they stepped out brayely
into the snow. David had brought
along old Johns snow shovel; it was
heavy and awkward. They took turns
using it.
And, somehow, they got along until
there was only one field more between
them and the woods
David was some distance ahead of
Philip; he was using the shovel. About
halfway across the field, he stopped
short.
There, just in front Of him, on top
OF the snow, crossing the path he was
making, was a long line of tracks. Da-
| v1d rubbed his snow-blinded eyes and
stared at them fascinated. They were
such strange tracks. All in one fright
| ened little minute David saw how
long they were, how broad, and how,
In places, they had cut sharply into
| the snow. No bird-not even a
| pa'tridge-could leave such gigantic
| footprints behind him. Could an ami
| NAL? And how could such big animal
walk on top of the snow?
Suddenly the whole world, which
had been so kind and beautiful, grew
strange and lonesome. The woods,
which had seemed SO far away, looked
very near and dark and gloomy. Sup
pose the animal should decide to come
back the way he had gone and should
find David standing there, and should
see Philip just behind? Philip was a
| little boy
| Mother said David must always take
care of him. David turned about. He
ran straight into Philip, knocking
him down. He pulled him up. Hurry,
hurry, hurry!" he said in queer
choked little voice.. There's been a
dreadful big animal along this way.
guess he was looking for his break
fast. You mustn't be afraid, Philip, but
he might be coming back soon now.
Sh1vering with cold and fright,
plunging headlong into the snow,
tumbling over each other and the big
shovel, David and Philip rushed blind
ly back the way they had come. At
last, shovel and all, they staggered in
to old John, who had just come out
to feed the chickens
"Sakes alive!" cried old John. He
looked as If he had been run into by
two big snow-balls. whats this? Why
bless my soul, it's little David and lit
tie Philip"
/ 20 John" painted David. That was
all he had breath for And all Philip
could gasp was "Oh!"
David caught old Johns hand in
both his. There's been dreadful big
animal across the lot over there next
to the woods" he said. TT had terrible
eyes
"And such long fierce teeth" said
Philip.
"Sakes alive!" cried old John
Where did you see it?"
II didn't see r." said David. "Bu
it's footprints were in the snow"
"It had just been along" said Philip
+ "Ill get my gum" said old John
Gould it have been panther. Da
vid?"
do panthers have feet good dea
larger than yours, John? ?" said David
This animals feet were twice as lonl
as yours, and twice as broad"
Old John looked in a puzzled way a
his feet in their pontiacs.
They were sort of rounded tracks
John" went on David anxiously. H
took stick and traced in the snow
They had kind Of little handle a
! one end-so; and there were quee
lines running across them-so."
A look of sudden understandin;
dawned on old Johns face. He threy
back his head and laughed till b
had to stop to wipe the tears. "Wan
to know what those tracks were?" b
said. Those were snowshoe tracks