Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1921-05-19


Al his trimming M the instincts I'M
hnea IN him hs p lhansahd generations
II cougnrs who knew this greatest
fenr. were simply ohllterated by the
sudden violence If his hunisne.mad-
mess. he had iasted This hIond once.
red il conld never ne forgotten. The
lame Ieaped in his eyes. And then he
began the stalk.
A cougar. trying to creep silently
on IT'S game. does not move quickly. II
simply steals. as serpent steals
through the grass. Whisperfoot stalIed
for period Of Eve minutes. to learn
that the prey was farther away from
him at every step.
He trotted forward until he came
close. and ngnin he sfaIked. Again he
found. after few minutes OF silent
creeping through the thickets. that he
Ind lost distance. Evidently this
game did not feed slowly. like the
deer. II was 10 be q chase, then.
Again he trotted within one hundred
feet Of the girl.
Three times more he tried to stalk
before he finally gave II up altogether.
This game was like the porcupine--
simply TO be chased down and taken.
And in the case Of all animals that
hunt their game BY oyertakIng II.
there WIS no lossGer any occasion for
going silently. The thing to do was 10
come close and spring from the trail
behind.
Though the fear was mostly gone.
the cougar retained enough OF that
cnution That most Wild animals ex-
hihit when hunting new game 80
that he didn't attempt to strike Snow
bird down at once But as the chase
went on, his passion grew upon him.
Ever he crept nearer, And AZ last he
sprang full into the Tickets beside
her.
AT that instant she had shot for the
nrst time. Because the Hight had left
his eyes before she could find aim.
both rs had been clean misses And
Terrific NJ the reports were. he was
too cngrossed iIr the chase 10 be
frightened nway by mere sound This
was the cry the man-pack always
madc--thesc sudden. startling soands
10 the silence. But he felt no pain.
He croucbed moment shivcring.
Then he founded on again.
The third shot WINS miss too IN
fact, there had been no chance for q
hit. 4 snund IN the darkness II rs
unreliable a target as cnn possibly be
imagined. And Il didn't brighten him
Ms much MS The others. lie waited.
croachlng, and the girl started on.
She was making other sounds how
queer. Whispering sounds not greatly
different from the blcat Tint the fawn
utiers when Il dies. IL was n fear
sound, and II there "a one emotion
with which the Wild beasts are &C.
aualntcd, IL an ils phases. Il q fear,
She was afraid Of him. thons and that
meant he need no longer 10 Ia the
least afraid Or her. Ills skin began 70
twitch nll over with that terrible rnnd.
ness and passion Of the flcah-hnntcrs.
This game wns like fhe deer. nnd
the thing 20 10 was lie 10 whit. There
WAS only ono trail. fIc waynt afraid
Of losing her ia che darkness She
was neither feet Ike the decr nor
courageous iIke woof the benz. lie
had only 70 whit aud leap from the
darkness when she passed.
when DIM Failing. riding IKE mad
over Tie mountain trail. heard The
third shot from sn0whlris pistol. b.
self that ona ~ the debts be owed had
como due at last IIe seemed 10 knew.
az the darkness pressed around him.
tiiBt iie was To be tried IN the flro And
the horse ffaggerpd beneath him a.
be tried 20 hasten.
lie showed no mercy % his mount.
fIorwe.iirsb isn't made fos carrying .
heavy man over such trail as thls,
and sho was red-n0atriIed and latb-
cred before half mile had been COZ.
ered. lie made her leap 10 the rocks,
and on fairly level stretches be Ioonee
the reIas and dashed her into a gsiiop,
Only q mountain horse could have
stood that test lie gave no Thought
10 his own safety Ills courage WIS
~ the test. and no risk Of his own
iife must interfere with HIS attempt
70 save Snowbird from the danger
tliat threatened her lie didn't know
when the horse would fall with him
and precipltate him down q preeipfce.
ana be was perfectly aware THAR %
crash into a low.hanginE limb Of onc
u the great trees beside the srsll
would probably crush his skull. Bui
he took the chance. And beFDre the
rida WIS done he found himself plead,
ing with The horse. even as De dashed
her sides with bis whip.
The sesser forest creatures spranF
from his trail: and once the mare
leaped high to miss dark shadow
TINT crossed IN 'front.' As abe caught
her stride. Dan heard 4 sqneai and o
rattle Of quilts that Identified the cren.
ture as p0rcupine.
by now BE had passed the flrst Of
the worst grades. coming out upon o
long. Easy slope OF open forest Again
be urged his horse. leaving to her
keen senses alone the choosing Of the
path between the great tree trunks.
Then he heard SnowbIrd Ore FOR The
fourth time; and he knew that be haa
almost overtaken her. The report
seemed 10 smash the afr. And be-
lashed his horse into the fastest run
she knew--a wild. sobbing flgure ID
the darkness
She's only got one shot MORE" he
said. de knew how many bullets her
pistol carried; and the dnnger-whai.
ever II was--must be just II hand un.
derbrush cracked beneath him. And
then the horse drew Up with n Jerk