El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-12
The Little White Terror
The Herald's Daily
Shert Stery

missing death by being crushed IN the
confined SAGE, slew it
Then the ferret fed full and curling
himself up, went sleep. He forgot all
about his master, and. besides, he was
quite comfortable. The man waited
for rabbits or ferret, and waited in
vain. Finally they began digging, but
gave it up as darkness FELL and went
home
Our ferret must have woke up about
midnight, with that raging thirst that
comes after drinking blood. The war
rem was as still as the grave, and
empty - all the rabbits having de-
camped as soon as the men left-and
as the ferret hurried upward to find
water, his football echoed hollow and
drear.
Outside. the moon was shining
brightly, and the night wind whispered
mysterious things among the trees.
Otherwise, all was still; instinct told
the ferret that if he went dOWnhill
long enough he would find water, so
he went downhill into the wood, and
ultimately found a stream, where he
drank. his white coat showing up clear
" in the moonlight 1t was very cold
and lonely, and he was not too happy.
He missed his warm hutch and hay
bed. He could have done. also. with
the delicious bread and milk he usually
had for his supper
He was still drinking when sudden
ly without the slightest warning, eX-
cepting a faint rustic, something
leaped at him out Of the dark. He had
not the least notion what it was be-
yOnd the fact that since it came to-
ward him, instead of running away, it
was dead sure to be an enemy. All he
saw was a big shadow. four or five
times his own size, flying through the
air, yet there was not the slightest
hesitation or nervousness in the mar
VelOuSly quick way he doubled upon
himself and met il in grim silence
That cat-for it was cat-must
have had a terrible jar I don't know
exactly what sort OF soft thing she
thought this white beast was-perhaps
white rabbit-but l am certain she
did not anticipate what followed. Any
way. she had no business TO be where
she was at all, so it did not matter.
Cleverly the ferret lodged the ter
rifle Scraping side stroke of the fe
lines barred claws, and sunk his fangs,
swiftly almost as Il snake in puSss
shoulder till they met. And there he
stayed Puss could do what she liked
for a bit Apparently she did, judging
by the way the soft ground was torn
up along that stream edge, and her
wells awOze the wood When, finally,
the ferret let go. the cat went home
like a grey streak She didn't wait to
see what had happened or why 1t had
happened. nor did she trouble to try
to fix the identity of the little white
terror-she simply went,
For the rest of that night the ferret
wandered ainlessly, lost, cold, and
miserable. an alien in the wild-fierce,
intolerant fighting all he met. in
Guiding a dog, two rats. and a fox cub
till at last, about two hours after
sun up. he found his way back to the
warren
Then and there. outside on the bare
ground, in plain view of all the holes,
he found a miracle-nO less, in fact,
than a saucer of warm bread and milk,
and his very own bag full OF warm
hay. and-Wonder of wOnderSi his own
wife. secured by neat leather collar,
inside. There was no one to be seen.
Mighty glad he was to drink milk
again, and get into the warm hay out
of the rasping, cold morning air, and
still more glad to see his wife.
Then his master, who had been hid
ing behind a tree, crept up. and pick
ing up bag and saucer, walked home,
chUckIinS.