The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-09-04

sot right we're and never minded the
time. She didn't offer to make up. and
SO was sittin' we're when midnight
rum. She was asleep and so was
when thar cum cry from Outdoahs.
1t was just like the boot Of a woman
lost in the woods. and it was ringin'
In my ears when the ole woman sits
up in bed and calls out:
".Zeb White. what on airth was that.
and what ar 20 doing sittin' up thar
like knot ON Logo
81 didn't hear nuthin' more'n an
owl hootin'.' says !.
"Then why don't yo' 60 out and
keep him company?
II didn't say nuthin' to that. and pur-
ty soon she fell back and went to sleep
again. Mebbe fifteen minits had pass
ed when the cry come ag'in and sent a
shiver over me and brought the ole
woman out Of bed.
"'Befo' the Lawd. but what kin 1t
be- she gasped.
"a woman hootin' for help SEE l.
"'lt can't be. No woman would be
hoOtin' around we're this time o. night
"'Then It may be an OWL
""Then you may be fuller
"Her calm me a fule riled me up.
and. though was purity sartin that it
was the scream Of q wildcat. ! deter
mined not to Civ in.
"'Shoo: It's one O. them Davis gals
lost in the woods!'
"'Tben You don't know sugar from
sand! Listen to that! Does that sound
ike the boot Of woman
":Jest exactly. ri bet my ole gun
agin coonskin that it's woman. I'll
open the doah so she kin see the light
and then call to her.
''Zeb White, I'm tellin' 20 it's a
wildcat and not woman. II yo
hadn't almost got to be a fule yo'd
know by the sound No woman ever
yeowled that way. no matter how
Bkeert. she was What yo' gwine to
dog
"'Open the doah. Of co'se.'
"'Waal. If 20 open that doah sum.
body's gwine to git clawed and bit.
and yo' take my word fur it.
THAT riled me sum mo-. and was
bound to open that doah or bust. |
could even h'ar the critter prowlin'
around. but want gwine to let the
ole woman bluff me down. riz up
and was iistenin', when she SEE:
"'This yere cat is arter meat fur
shore!'
THAT yere woman is lookin' fur
our cabin, yo' mean, and we're goes to
let her In
with that l crossed over and open
ed the back doah. and as | did so the
ole woman made a dive fur the bed
and kivered up her head. had just
swung the doah back and opened my
mouth to boot when sumthin' knocked
me clean across the cabin and uttered
an awful scream. 1t was a sure
enough wildcat. and mighty big one
at that. He fust jumped on the bed
and scratched at the clothes, but as !
got up he turned and tackled me. l
was took so sudden that the critter
had all the advantage at fust. but
bimeby got hold of stool and sorter
held my own. He kept me mighty
busy. but saw the ole woman sitttn'
I'D in bed arter bit and heard her
say:
"'Zeb White. If that's one o them
Davis gals. then she's powerfully
changed about since last Sunday: Why
don't yo' ask her to take her bonnit
OF and stay all night?
"'But l hain't AKIN no help from
you,' says l. though figured that !
couldn't last ten minits mo-.
"'Never knowed the Davis girl was
% smart befo'.'
"'You hain't got all the peartness
around yere.'
"Just how long that fout lasted l
rant say. but finally driv the critter
outdoahs and got the doah shet, and
then fell down and tainted away
and didn't know nuthin' mo- fur an
hour. don't rightly remember how
many bites and scratches l got. but !
was laid up for six weeks and had a
tut time Of It."
"Mrs. White didn't have anything
more to say. did she-anything more
about your taking the wildcats scream
Tor the boot Of a woman?" was asked.
''Sartinly she did" he replied. Bout
the fust words heard arter ! cum to
was:
"'say, Zeb White. yo'd better look
cut fur that Davis gal arter this! She's
bit and clawed you till I've got to
make a poultice 40 big 10 barrel to
dver the hurts"
"And what did you say in replyT'
! Notwithstanding tall. I'D jest
btuded myself and got the worst Of 1t.
and % shet up. Yes, shet up and let
her grin and chuckls and poke fun at
~ Yes. ] knowed when ] was hcked.
oDd ] lay thar and cried and didn't
~ nuth,n' b say-sutAin' 'tanr'