The Washington herald., 1911-09-03

but clear and distinct, way down below him
at the foot of the ridge, came back another
whistle. 1t was not his father's,-that he had
known to recognize from any other whistle
as long as he could remember
Sulckly following this, howl went up that
set him all agow with hope; for this time he
recognized 1ellows quick. highpitched yelp,
and then he knew he could not be far from
where his father had been, as Yellow was a
most careful hound about straying far away
when on a hunting trip
With bound and loud call for Nose, he
started on rapid trot along the ridge, where
the deers runway had made a sort Of trail.
This ridge ended abruptly with a large, fat
rock, and under it the ground sloped away
at steep decline down to the rocky bed Of
another stream.
The moment he caught sight of this rock,
Wilse saw that man Law stretched out with
dog by his side. Giving a cry of recogni.
tion he sprang forward onto the rock, with
out stopping, to think Of any possible danger
AS ne did so> the animal which he had
taken tor dog, supposing it to be Yellow,
suddenly jumped back from the PROSTATE
form il was guarding, and in an instant Wilse
saw that 1t was panther that he had to
deal with.
In its backward jump the panther had mis-
calculated its nearness to the edge of the rock,
and it landed half over the side which over.
hung the ravine below
=, AS it struggled to regain the top, with only
its front legs on the rock to aid II. Wilse let
it have the bullet in his rife, as he thought,
right between its eyes. The excitement must
have caused his aim to waver, and panther
skull is hard to penetrate unless a bullet
strikes it fair; SO the beast only gave a low
growl OF rage and continued its attempts TO
get one Of its hind legs in such a position
on the slippery edge Of the rock that he
could climb again TO the ledge.
Had Wise owned breech-oading rife, he
might have quickly reloaded in time to repair
his uncertain aim; but with the old-fashoncd,
muzzle loading rifle, there was no other way
than to club his gun and attempt to beat the
panther over the head, so that it would loosen
its hold OF the rock and fall into the ravine
below.
Rushing forward, be put all his strength
into blow which he felt must be his best
= becalase everything depended on it, and, with
yell that was almost ike that of human
voice, the panther sank back, quivered al
over for one instant. and, fell with a crash
into the laurel thicket, sixty feet below. And
with it went the stock of Wilse's rife, which
by the force of his blow. was broken short OF
at the thinnest part near the trigger.
Then all his thoughts were gwen TO the
effort of bringing his father back to cou'
sciousness. He was still warm, but IL was ini
possible to feel his heart beat, and the boy
could not tell whether he was alive or not.
As he stopped over him. rustling in tbs
bushes was followed by bounding form, and
before he had time to prepare himself for
anything, old Nose sprang In and began hex
ing the mans face
Inc faithful OLD IenOW seemed 10 nave ION
all thought OF his own injuries, so overJoyed
was he to find his young master by the side
of the one whom he had suffered so much u
save. Then, seeming to realize their need o:
still other help, he threw back his head and
sent forth a howl that could easily be heard
for mile around; and way down in the
hollow came back the baying OF three or four
bounds
Then, much nearer-only over the rock in
the laurels beneath, in fact--came up Vel
lows well-known yelp.
Feeling that even the presence Of more
hounds would be a comfort to him, Wilse ut
tered a long, shriIl whistle, and then gave q
hunters cry used to call in the dogs when
they are on the wrong scent.
This was replied to by a volume OF barking
still nearer, that showed there must be a
considerable number Of the hounds, and that
they we're approaching him rapidly. But that
did not give him the feeling OF JOY that came
when, in an instant after, he heard the we'll
known ''Yo-holp of josh Tittlebrew's father.
'1one-legged Abe"-who frequently went out
on the mountain with Jake Bushheld.
Why Abe Tttlebrew was out on the noun
tains at this time OF night .h ne qua % not a s,o
near at hand, and he gave great shohf
guide the hunter TO him. ,.,
The reply he got TO- this was very dliitl
from what he. had expected i was a O.
foIIowed. bebre he realized its meanhe,
a mighty sprAng which brought another -
still larger panther almost at his feet
Torn and famed as he was. Nose spraii
the intruder and seized him in such y.'"
that his final spring toward Wise wa was ~
en-. aud he fell short of the boy by a
feat The dogs fangs had gone so deep M
the panther that it was compelled in seif T.
Tense to turn on its assailant in an a'tr''.
to shake him off.
During that momentary struggle, Wisr-A''
time to catch up his fathers gun--S NIT
heavier and stronger weapon than the ohc
that he had broken over the other panther,
and deal the beast at his feet blow which
ended its struggles with the hound.
Whether the blow that Wise gave the pan
tber was a killing one or only stunned him,
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