The Washington herald., 1915-10-03

looking for some way or reaching him
without getting wetting. A whine from
the hemlock made her remember the
kitten. She turned and dashed up the
tree: there was now no hesitation; she
was enraged. and meant to revenge her
self
Her onslaught was so sudden that Ar
thur had no time for any preparation. In
his panic and hasty excited effort to set
| tie himself so that he could strike to ad-
vantage. the club slipped from his hn-
gers and fell to the ground. He cried
out. and George saw what had happened.
When the lynx reached him. Arthur used
his feet 50 vigorously against her head
that for a moment or two she was
checked
death to attack the enraged animal when
armed with no better weapon than his
cumming pole; but George, seeing the
dire peril Of his friend, rushed ashore
and to the foot of the henlock. From
there he could just reach the animals
hank-she having recoiled a little before
Arthur's desperate kicking-and he began
to belabor it with the can on the end Of
his pole. The lynx partially turned.
seeming to hesitate whether to charge
the enemy above or to fling herself upon
this new assailant.
While this commotion was going on.
the kitten had got more and more
frightened. Trying to seek safety in
flight. it had crawled along the big
branch until it reached almost the ex-
treme end: the branch snapped under its
weight. and with a long cry it fell
through the air. Fortunately for it, it
had crawled so far along the branch that
when it fell. instead Of striking the
earth. it came down in the midst OF the
pool.
1t fell just as its mother was hesi-
tating which one Of the boys to attack.
She saw it strike the water. and forget
ting ali else in this new peril to her or
spring. she leaped over Georges head and
plunged into the water to its rescue
showing that even in lynx the mothers
love or instinct is stronger than rage or
the passion for revenge.
Holding the kitten in her teeth, she got
out OF the water as soon ss possible. On
the bank she paused for a moment, as
If in doubt whether to attack George or
not. But again maternal feeling asserted
itself. The kitten was safe now, and
she could not afford to further endanger
its precious life. Holding it, drenched
and whimperine. in her mouth, she trot-
ted of into the woods and disappeared.
1t was dusk when the boys got back
to Tamarack Lake, for Arthur found
himself badly exhausted after this expe-
rience. and they had walked slowly. The
legs Of his boots were torn. and in sew
eral places claws had left their marks on
his ankles.
I'll bet twas the same lynx that we
saw here last year, exclaimed Antoine,
when they told their story, sitting by
the campfire that evening. AN old Can
ada lynx with a kitten is about the saw
agest creature in these woods-nearly as
bad as q panther. I tell you, you boys
weer lucky to get OF as you did. with
only a scare an few little scratches!
But don't get scared. thinkin' this Is goin'
to happen every day. You're not likely
to see a lynx again in a year-no, nor in
i've years"
well, / suppose you've had enough of
the woods" said George, as he and Ar
thur rolled themselves in their blankets
and prepared to go to sleep. We've had
q rather tough experience. and perhaps
we'd better start back for Chateaugay to-
morrow"
mo; / don't think I've had enough Of
the woods, and I'm IN no hurry to leave.
II I'd had q little more of them In my
life I wouldn't have gone to pieces ~ I
did today. dropping my club and getting
scared like q baby, And. George, I
won't forget In . hurry how you. with
only q gumming-pols to hght with. came
to the rescue and pitched into that angry
lynx"
tCopyrisht, b. HarpR sad Bso<ARA)