The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1915-10-28


climb and gasping for breath, he call
ed to the animal, with all the sweet
ness he could get into his voice, but
his vocal allurements sailed OFF on the
passing winds side by side with kit
tvs mewing which continued with
maddening regularity. He changed
to language of a violent nature but
with like disappointing result Though
little given to profanity, he swore, but
all kinds of speech, profane or sacred
looked alike to Madam Blinks. En-
ragged beyond endurance, he broke off
died branches and threw them at his
wife's pet with vicious energy, de-
sisting, however, when a narrow es-
cape from falling showed him the
unwisdom of this course. OF this
kind of argument, however, Blinks
was Obliged to take notice. She
stopped mewing for the time and
climbed to a yet higher point in the
tree.
And now frenzy took possession of
John in every part. The original
purpose of his adventure was forgot
ten and q wild desire for destruction
took its place At imminent peril
of life and limb he strove upward.
The cat had good reason now for
keeping out of reach and she did so
by retrestng as he progressed. Fin
ally the head of navigation was reach
ed and kitty paused on the topmost
branch with nothing but the empti
ness of clouds and sky above her.
| Pausing for breath, few feet be-
low, John could see the lights in his
own home and at the Harmons, indi-
eating that the two families propQS
ed to await the outcome of his adven-
ture. In his own windows, he could
note the blinking of the freight and
he knew a warmed house and a wife
ly welcome would be his IL ever he
got back to tell of the strange stunts
he was now performing. Breath
and strength renewed, he resumed
his efforts with feelings. kin to the
instinct of hound that has run
fox to his hole. The limbs bent
with his weight and were unsteady
as the whole tree swayed in the wind.
He seized the branch, to the bending
top of Which the cat hung with claws
set fast, and shock it savagely. One
foot was dislodged and beat the air
frantically, almost in his face. Then
another was shaken loose and a Anal
vigorous yank of the limb cast Blinks
into space, her youls of terror sprink-
ling the night air with an uncanny
sound. She caught an occasional
twig, but gained no permanent hold
She was OH through train for moth
er earth and John felt glee in his
heart as she glinted through the
moonlit branches and disappeared in
the drifts, seventy feet below.
Climbing down now with every
sense alert, he at last arrived where
he had left his ladder. only to stand
aghast to find 1t gone. Had some
one removed it? He rejected the
thought for he would not SANDER the
neighborhood with the allegation that
another being lived therein who
would be among that clump of elms
at such a time. even though the
treasures of Captain Kid were buried
at their roots He peered down.
ward with very real anxiety. There
was no discounting the seriousness
of his situation. 1t was little COM
fort to him at last to discover the
outlines of the ladder in the snow
and to realize that the winds had
blown 1t over. while he had climb
ed heavenward with murder In his
heart the elements had conspired for
his destruction.
He called Justify for help but this
was as hopeless as though he were
on a sinking ship in mid ocean. His
voice sounded low and trembling to
his own ears and would not carry to
the nearby roadway. much less to and
into the lighted windows of the two
farmhouses, half a mile away on
either hillside He was suffering
severely now with cold and realized
that his hold upon the branches was
growing less secure at every moment
Thirty or forty feet to the soft white
snow, but under that the earth, frozen
as hard as a granite pavement. A
jump might prove fatal and. would
certainly leave him helpless in the
drift with broken limbs, to loose by
freezing the little life that might re-
main to him after the impact He
would not take the chance. II he
was to follow the cat in her air line
journey 1t would be after his be-
numbed limbs lost their power to
hold him In the branches. But fear
and suffering logged him to continue
the fight He got as low as possible
with the hope OF clasping the trunk
and sliding down, but the tree was
too large and he was too far gone to
maka N daapept of fbiQ Kind