Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1921-04-07

and The brush made a perfect cover.
But The doe unfortunately was stand.
ing full twenty yards farther. ii a.
open glade. Under orgilnnry clrcum.
stnnces, WhispcFfoct woiid nor have
made nn eftack. A cougar can run
swiftly. but a deer ii Hight itself The
big cat would have preferred % IIneer.
uuDfiUsiras thing Is sssS fss ssss.s:s.'
hoping Home other member Of The deer
herd to which the doe must have be
ionged would come into hts ambush,
Buf the hunt was late. and Whisper
loot was very. very angry. Too many
times thla night be bad Inissed hls
XII III desperation, Ne icarsd from
the thleket and charged the deer,
10 pplse Of the prnppndeFant odds
against him. The charge was almost
success. lie vent fully half ne dss
lance between them before the deer
perceived him. Then she iearei.
There seemed 10 81 no inscrlude uf
time between tho instant that she be
held Tho aim, t6wny figure n the air
ana gbnt IN which her long legs pushed
cut IN spring but sise didn't leap
straight ahend 81 tnem eaailgh -
sslsA conRess 10 know thAt the great
cut would certainly ain fqr her hrad
and nerk 10 The snma WAY thnt q duck
hunter leads fastnyinR duck hep.
Ing 10 intercept her leap. Even % her
feet ieff the ground she seemed 20
whfsl Ia the DIR, ard the deadly tnions
whipped down 81 vain. Then, cutting
back ~ front. she raced dawn wind.
II Ia Usually the most unFplilgaied
folly for cougar % chase d deer
against which he has missed his
stroke mad Il IA nIao quite fatal % hla
dignity. And whoever doubts for 4
minntn Tint the larger creatures have
30 dignity. ard that Il II not very dear
to them. aInsply knows nothing about
the ways 81 animals They cling 70
II 70 the death, But tonight one dis
appointment after another had crufn-
bled. Us the rains crumhie Ieayez the
laat vestige os Whlsperfoota self.eou-
troi. snariIng IL fury. he bounded
after tho doe.
she was lost to sight 1T once ~
the darkness. but for fully thirty yards
he raced "a her pursuit. n he had
stopped 10 think. It would have been
one ~ the really great surprises o.
HIS life 70 hear the Sudden, unniih-
taxable stir and movement Of q large,
living creature not fifteen feet distnnt
ia the thlckct.
fIe didn't stop 70 think 1t M. he
didn't puzzle on the extreme unllkell-
hood Of d doe hnIslng n her flight from
cougar. 1t Is doubtful whether IN
the thickets. he had any perceptions
81 the creature other than ny move
nenia He wna running down wind.
N IL Is certain thar ne dl6n's smell Il.
II be saw II AZ al, Il WINS just as q
shadow. sufficiently large to DO that
~ deer. II wns moving. crawling as
Woaf the hcnr sometimes crnwled.
seemingly to eet out 81 his path. And
whlsperfoof leaped straight at #.
It was perfect shot, he landeG
high on It's shoulders His head laehed
down. and The white teeth closed. All
the long life Of his raee be had known
that punGcns essence tllnt flowed forth.
His senses perceived II, messnge
shot along hIs nerves 70 his hrain. And
then he opened hIs mouth ID q hIgh.
far.cnrrying sqreal Of utter abject
terror.
He sprnng full fifteen feet back
into Tie thlcketa; then cruuched The
hair stood etili at hie shoulders. his
claws were barred: he WAN prepared
TO fight 10 the death. re didn't under.
stand. He only knew the worst single
terror of his llfe II WINS not doe
TINT he hnd attaeked IN the darkness
Ii was not Urson tlae porcuplne. oi
even Woof II was TINT imperial inns
ter OF all things. man himself TN.
knowing, he had attacked Landy iii.
dEeth, lying wounded from cfanaion'a
buffet beside the trail Word Of the
arson ring would never reach the set
dement's. after nlI.
And as for Whlsperfoot the terror
that cloled his heaFt With blood bel
gan 70 wear on In d ilttle white. The
man lay 70 sim IN the thiekeia ne
sides. there wns strange. wild smell
b The air. Whlspeffooi'e stroke had
gone Nonc No true there md hot even
bAen llEht. the darkness heFnn Il
iift around him. and d strange ezultn.
tion, rupture unknown llefore b an