South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-04-29
The Princess And The Puma
By o. Henry

I his back against a tree and rolled n
\ c.garCt From somewhere in the
dense timber along the river came a
i sudden. rageful. shivering wall. The
pony danced az the end OF his rope
land blew "a whistling snort OF COM
pretending fear. Givens puffed AT
+ his cigaret. but he reached leisureiy
+ for his pistol belt. which lay on the
grass. and twirled the cylinder OF
I his weapon tentatively. A great gar
I plunged with a loud splash into the
water hole A little brown rabbit
skipped around a bunch Of catclaw
and sat twitchinE his whiskers and
looking humorOusly at Ovens. The
pony went on eating grass.
II is well TO be reasonably watch
iful when a Mexican lion sings So
prano along the arroys at shutdown.
The burden Of his song may be that
young calves and fat lambs are
/ scarce, and that ne has a varnivor-
Gus desire for your acquaintance.
In the grass lay an empty fruit can
cast there by some former sojourner.
Ovens caught sight OF it with "A
rrunt or satisfaction. IN his coat
pocket tied behind his saddle was a
handful or two OF ground coffee.
Black coffee and cigaretsi What
rancherO could desire mOre2
In two minutes he had a little fire
going clearly He started. with his
can. for the water hole. When
within Il yards Of its edge he saw,
between the bushes, a side-saddled
pony with down dropped reins crop
ping grass a little distance TO his
left Just rising from her hands
and knees on the brink Of the water
hole was Josefa O'Donneu. She had
been drinking water, and she brush
I cd the sand from the palms OF her
| hands. Ten yards away, 10 her right.
I half concealed by a clump OF sa-
cuista. Givens saw the croUching
form Of the Mexican lion. His am
\ Der eyeballs glared hungrily: six
/ feet from them was the tip OF the
trail stretched straight, like a point
ers His headquarters rocked with
! the motion Of the cat tribe prelimin-
army 90 leaping.
Givens did what he could. His
Z shooter was 81 yards away lying on
/ the grass. He gave a loud yCll. and
| dashed between the lion and the
princess.
The "rucus" as Givens called it
/ afterward. was brief and somewhat
! confused. When he arrived on the
/ line Of attack he saw a dim streak
in the air. and heard a couple of
l faint cracks. Then a hundred pounds
Of Mexican lion pumped down upon
I his head and hattened him. with a
/ heavy jar, TO the ground. He re-
membered calling out: Let up,
now-no fair gouging," and then he
crawled from under the lion like a
worm. with his mouth full Of grass
and dirt. and a big lump on the back
Of his head where il had struck the
root of a water-elm. The lion lay
motiOnless. Givens, feeling aggrieved,
and suspicious of fouls shook his
fist at the lion, and shouted: "Ill
rastle YOU again for 90" and then
he got back TO himself.
Josefa was standing I'm her tracks,
quietly reloading her silver amounted
IS. 1t had not been a difficult shot
The lions head made an easier mark
than a tomatO-can swinging at the
end of a tring There was a prOvok-
ing teasing. maddening smile upon
her mouth and in her dark eyes. The
would be-resCuing knight felt the
fire Of his fasco burn down to his
soul Here had been his chance, the
chance that he had dreamed of; and
Menus. and not Cupid had presided