The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1909-03-27


Above us, not far away, doomed >
great wall of rock. scanned ans
Wrinkled with the erosion of countless
storms and winters. When we faced IL
close at hand it lowered above us hun
dreds of feet, brown and gray, ana
clotted here and there with green.
clinging tufts Of growth We caught
a glimpse Of the mountain lion at tina
base of the mighty rampant as we APP
preached but it vanished like some
thing melting into the wall. When we
came close to the brown barrier or
stone we found many assures ana
shad0wy holows in its face, and at
one of these-a low, narrow hole
some rumpled shale.
Saint at once dropped on his knees
and began to crawl into the hole.
dragged him back by main strength
and planted myself before the opening.
Are you mad?" | cried. That crea-
ture wi tear you into shoestrings II
you go in there!"
You -l.let me in" he demanded
pantingly, giaring at me; that thing
hurt Dandy and want to fight lt.'
Before could stop him he had
grabbed the lantern and disappeared.
| shall not attempt to relate what
happened in Saints own language, for,
considering his lingual misfortune.
that would hardly be kind. That which
occurred, however, even as he told 1t
to me afterward, was stirring enough.
When he entered the cavern the
lantern revealed no sign OF life. The
place was as the black mouth of soma
great monster. The light shone on
short stone pillars and ragged points
that shut together along the walls
like teeth, the roof was corrugated
No cougar was there. Throwing the
flare of light along the outer edge OF
the floor, he found an outlet, black,
sunken hole into which he instantly
crept, pushing the lantern and rifle
before him. 1t seemed the very in,
sanity of courage, but the vision OF
Dandy lying senseless with the red
rent down his neck and side goaded
the boy to battle
Within half a dozen feet his head
and shoulders emerged In smaller
cavern, and 10 or Is feet farther on
he saw two reddish-grecn stars
flaming in the gloom. Off to the left
lay big hairy heap, which suddenly
stirred with a snoring suspiration and
rose up to the height of man. At
opened with a yawn and two little jet
like eyes widened with sudden inter
est. The master of the house had
awakened to the fact that he had visi.
tors.
Palpably he did not like It; the Ian
terms glow, and the baleful CLEAN OF
the cougars eyes, and the strange
white face thrust In over the threshold
Of his private chamber, troubled him.
He growled and shifted and looked
angry.
The giant cat paid the bear no at
tention. but fixed its blazing eyes on
the light and the human face at the
entrance, wrinkling its sides and
working its claws as it prepared to
spring. Saint drew the lantern back
under his arm, lifted his Winchester
and fired at the cougars head. The
report seemed as the crashing roar of
a cannon, and with a snarl the big
cat apparently bounded against the
low roof OF the cave
Involuntary Saint drew back as he
rested on his elbows and knees and
with the movement the rife somehow
came across the mouth of the narrow
opening like bar The accident
saved him, for the next instant the
mad and frightened cougar plunged
against the bar. The impact Of its
breast bent the rife barrel far out OF
line. Saints bosom and left arm
were slightly torn by its claws.
That which Saint witnessed then.
fearful as it was. proved very much
to his liking. The mountain lion
bounced back and went round the
cave like a fash. while the bear
danced across the floor with It's mouth
open az II laughing, but in reality
highly irritated. The next moment
the cougar sprang upon the larger
animals back. The force Of the plunge
carried the bear against the wall and
they fell With a wrench and twis,
brun got himself free. but instantly
closed again and huggng and with
ing and hitter FIGHTING hogan