Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-01-25


Lucietta.
$50 it does," said Jeff.
Eagerly they listened, then hearing it
again, stole forward and came to large,
hollow log, five or SIX feet in diameter,
the trunk Ut great cedar which, in tall
ing, had broken In two. The sounds
issued from one oil the fragments. But
On approaching il, ootn Children paused
lnesolulely-tne giping hole looked SO
dark aad toroludlng.
suppose II is really kitty in there ?"
Luclella exclaimed. Little Jeff felt sure
that II was.
do you dare to crawl in and see 2"
LucIettd asked. She herself dIo not half
IKE Tile looHS of th4I black mole.
Jeff, peeping III, considered Inc matter.
HIS courage rose. ii guess ia dare, d
little Way" ne said. but you stand
rlgnI there, Lucy"
Ueltlng down on his knees, he crept in
slowly, posing aside lne punk-wood and
smiling wdilly, Ior lne place had d Dad
sheh. ne ulu not Ike Inc Odor al ali
OUT DIS the kllIen Kept mewIng, ne went
on.
Soon he thought that he diScerned II
moving IN Ine oOscurilya lille anedu ot
him III lne nonow los, dTld atler dill uneasy
gIanCe DdcK dt LuClelle'S ) IeeI oulSiue, nc
piucKeu up couIage AGAIN anu crdwleu
On, ~ where lie sprdwilng lille Creature
lay.
ION, it is kitty" LuCietta heard
hlm cdii, Although ms voice wdS muiIied
Dy The 10Y. 'bul II Is Son OF queer
kllly," lclf Conunued. IL never sdw one
like II oeIOre."
"fetcn II out Fetch it out !" cried
LuclelId, eagerly.
GrAsplns Tie helpless little creature by
the nape vi Inc neCK, Jr1l Hastily odcAeu
ouI. WIN wondering Interest ooIn cnIi-
uTen then looked lneir prize over.
"ils eyes aren't nait- open yell" Lucietta
said. Il guess rs oniy d lew DAYS old."
LuClelta was wise III Tie mdller vi AlIlenS.
MS got great Ols paws aud dill awIul
oily head, she auued.
"well, you Know, Lucy, that every
thing Is oig Oul mere III Oregon" said JeTf.
'nillenS die olg, 100, s'pose,
LucleItd thought lndl Inls might be so.
she slroKed lne lille cIeature' gray tur,
ana The desire ~ possess II stlIred her.
Lets carry II nonel II she exclaimed.
wasn't there oul one ? And wneGe 40
you suppose the OLD Cal ISL"
hey iooked round little apprehen-
slycly; and then, cldSping The helpless
with ootn hands, Lucletta marched OIL
Win II, while Jrtf followed. Whlle he
nad held The killen Dy The nape OF the
NECK, II Was very qulel; out now IT be-
gan mewing gam, father loudly ana
noarSely. Although they did not wholly
Ike the sound OF lis CRIES, they hurried
on, and soon reached the edge OF the
Clearing where tney saw their lalher al
Work win his hoe. The los house was
only few hundred feet away.
dad, y DADDY, we've found kittyl"
little jeff shouted.
Freeman Gage looked up. The chill
dren were threading their way toward
nim among large bldckened stumps and
logs. He saw that Lucietta had some
thing in her arms.
"Where did you find lt?" he cried out
He had hardly spoken when back IN the
woods there burst forth succession OF
what he described afterward as the most
horrible screecheS that ever came 10 his
ears. A moment later there emerged
from the timber a large, yellowlSh- gray
animal, that came alter the children with
long, swift leaps.
Gage knew that it was a panther, or
cougar, as these ugly Creatures were at
first called in Oregon. Although he had
no weapon at hand except his hoe, he
rushed 10 interpose hlmSelf between the
raging beast ana his children. Run for
the house" he shouted to them. Run!
Run for your lives"
And they ran; Tor they heard the saw
age cries behind them; and they reached
the house just as their mother, who had
also heard the outcry, came hastily to the
door. The cougar was now hardly fifty
feet behind them; and Mrs. Gage had
barely time to pull the children into the
house and bang the door in the face OF
the lnfurIated animal, which, screeching
horribly all the while, rushed up to the
very threshold, and rising on It's hind legs,
clawed fu1ously at the barrier.
BY shouting and throwing clubs and
stones, Gage ATTEMPTED to drive the an
lmal away. For the moment, however,
il paid little attention TO him, but running
round the house. reared up and clawed
at the door and the little window on the
front. Very likly II heard the mewlings
OF its whelp within. In her alarm, Lucietta
had out clutched the panther kit the closer
when her mother had pulled her within
doors.
Cages flintlock rifle was in the house.
Standing back among the stumps, ne now
shouted to his wife TO get it and be ready
to hand il to him at lne door, for he thought
that by watching his chance when the
cougar went roundto the back of the house
he could run and get the gun.
He tried to do so, but the animal came
back suddenly. Seeing Gage so near. it
cronched TO spring; and he backed hastily