Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1920-02-19
WEEKLY SHORT STORY
PADFOOT.
BY J. R. MCDANIEL.

Padfoot was the swiftest. Every
since he was very young, he had been
terrified by an older panther, and
had been compelled to run for his
life.
i Padfoot had been left an orphan
while still very young, and he had
been compelled to exc out an ex-
istence for himself. The big panthe,
had been bullying him from the start
and at the slightest cracking, Pad
foot would swiftly and silently Ell
face himself from the scene.
| He had a lair high up in rock
which was practically inaccessible to
any living creature except himself
Hither he would flee at the approach
of his enemy.
On this particular morning, he
was not in a very good humor. He
had hunted all the morning to find
nothing but scant mouse. Stealthly
creeping along, he reached pine
hillock where, usually, cartridges col
lected. But even the cartridges were
gone.
With dull gnawing at his vitals,
he silently made his way toward a
stream to slake his thirst. From a
habit Of caution, he crawled on his
belly, twitching his tail, his muscles
ripping under the folds of skin, to a
rock that overlooked the stream.
From there, he saw sight that
made him instantly sink out OF
sight.
Directly beneath him was his bit
terest enemy. A few yards away, a
mink had caught gray squirrel, and
was carrying it to her den.
The other panther noiselessly glided
up behind the mink and snatched the
squirrel. He then began to walk off
very slowly and sedately. Hardly
had he gone five steps, when the
mink launched itself at his hind leg.
1t inflicted nasty tear in the leg OF
the panther, AID leaped back just as
the panther whirleL.
About fifteen feet away sat the
, mink, a bundle of steel muscles, with
a light of cold, gray hate, glowing
out of her eyes. The panther looked
at her a moment, and, as if he dis
dained to trife with her, he walked
on. Again the mink launched her
self at him, again the panther was
torn.
The panther realized that he could
not catch his small antagonist, and
still he hated to give up the squirrel
At last, torn in many places, ne
realized his grip on the squirrel, and
let it fall to the ground. Then
walking along, not deigning to look
at his small antagonist, who had adj
ministered such an inglorous defeat
to him, he started toward the woods
The mink gazed after him for a mo-
ment with hate-filled eyes, and then
placing her hard earned prize in hel
mouth, she made her way to her der
where three hungry babies were
awaiting her.
Padfoot had been watching all Of
this from the rock above. AS hi
watched the small and insignificant
mink gain a victory over his much
feared antagonist, new born con
fidence arose in him. Hitherto, ne
had regarded his enemy as invinc.oie
Now, a passionate desire to avenge
the many injuries done to him by the
fother panther arose. A new born
confidence within him shook him
nightly His hunger was forgotten
Then he swiftly pursued the other
panther. Padfoot gave vent to a
mighty growl when he caught the
other panther. The other panther
jumped in surprise. The hitherto
coward was now standing-not run
ming.
| Then Padfoot leaped. Followed one
of the most whirl-wind battles ever
fought in the 'wilds. The other pan
Their, taken by surprise at this at
tack from a supposed coward, was
completely at disadvantage. Again,
3Padfoot's new-found confidence would
not down.
At last, torn and bleeding, Pad
foot's antagonist realized that ne
must resort to another flight or suffer
sure death. Scrambling free, he ran
as he had never run before.
Padfoot, with new look, arose.
Gone forever was the old look of tim
idity and fear. Instead, there was a
look of holiness and power.
Little did the defeated panther
realize that he had been overthrow