St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-04-10

day. AS leaned back with my weight
Dandy, who was at the top of pole
making tie, saw something flash
like smitten emeralds in the branches
Of pine to the left of him, and the
next instant great flying shape shot
into the air in long curve, and fell
apparently upon him.
saw it extended to the full as it
shot through the air, it's powerful paws
and claws outstretched, its short ears
laid back, its teeth bare to its red
gums. A little wave of light fed
along its satin skin as it few; / re
member how strange that was. can
not say why-my helper and may
have sprung" the pole from the start
the vision gave us-but the huge cat
did not strike Dandy squarely. It's left
paw seemed to strike him on the side
of his head, tearing down across his
right shoulder and nearly to his
waist, and taking strips of skin and
clothing with it. The animals body
struck across the three working tele-
graph wires and cut them from the
cross-arm like knife. It whirled
completely over, with snarling
scream of fear and pain, and fell to
the earth, striking upon it's side.
Through one swift breath the cou-
gar sprawled and writhed, wrinkling
it's shining hide in agony, then leaped
I'D and away into the wood, turning it's
cleaning eyes back toward Dandy in
terror as it fed. Doubtless the burn
ing thrusts of the electric currents,
which met the animal when it fell
across the wires, were the inspirers
of its fright, rather than Dandy.
It goes without saying that We got
to Dandy's side as quickly has our
bounding legs would take u.s. The
young fellow was quite unconscious.
We hurriedly carried him down to the
camp, where We were not long in de-
termining that Saint was not at all a
saint, for what with the sight of
Dandy, torn and sGnseless, and the bit
of fever in the Saints own blood, his
anger was something to see. AS soon
as Dandy had his reason back, which
we were happy to see arrive a few mo-
ments after we brought him to camp,
Saint took a. Winchester from the lit
tie tent in which the brothers slept.
and began buckling belt of cart
ridges about his waist. His face was
pale and set, and in answer to an in
curry of mine he said: I'm g-g-going
after that beast"
| slung a gun across my shoulder
and followed him. There was an itch
ing in my own fingers to get shot at
the savage creature | grabbed a Ian
tern before leaving, thinking we might
track the animal to his lair in the
rocks. When we came to the spot
where Dandy had fallen, we pushed
directly into the forest. looking
keenly everywhere. | confess to little
creeping thrills in my scalp by times
as | peered about, lest the terrible
thing might fall down upon me from
some tree like tearing, crushing
bolt.
Above us, not far away, doomed a
great wall of rock, scanned and
wrinkled with the erosion of countless
storms and winters. When we faced it
close at hand 1t lowered above US hun
dreds of feet, brown and gray. and
clotted here and there with green,
cIinging tufts of growth. We caught
a glimpse Of the mountain lion at the
base of the mighty rampant as we ap-
preached, but it vanished like some
thing melting into The wall When we
came close to the brown barrier of
stone we found many assures and