Year: 1877




could, there was still an opening


among the roots, through whicE ne and


the panther looked each other in the
face.


This state of affairs continued for
half an hour or more, the creature
lashing its tail and drawing its claws
along the bark of the tree, as if just
about to spring, when Leslie knew
from the beasts sudden change of &C
ton that the indians were approach
ing.


The poor fellows suspense was ag
onizing as the panther turned around
and began to howl at the presence CT
the new foe. Having traced victim
to the hole among the roots, the great
cat was enraged at the appearance of a
rival to its feast of blood.


Bnt the interval vas brief. Again
sharp crack of guns rang out, and the
furious creature sprang into the air
and fell heavily on the ground out of
Leslie's sight.


Then he surmised, from tile sounds
that the red men were removing the
panther's hide and for half an hour
longer he was on the rack of anxiety
lest they should discover his hiding
blace.


But to his indescribable relief he
gathered from a few half English words
that they intended to follow the
horses trail, not knowing that the rid
er had dropped from his seat and was
near them.


In a little time he heard their tread
as they crossed the roots within a
couple of yards of his head and hast
ened away on the pursuits.


But had not the horse been also
wounded so as to mark its continued
flight with blood, the savages would
have doubtless come back to the
brook where Leslie fell, and searched
him out. Little cared they for the
injured animal, and much for the
scalp Of its rider; but the continuous
red trail deceived them and saved him.


As it was, he did not dare stir from
his hiding place until the afternooa of
the next day, least, returning past the
place, they might discover him.


All this time he was half immersed
in water, and suffering untold agonies
from his wound


Finally, toward night of the second
day, after nearly thirty six hours in a
living grave, he crawled forth like a
haunted fox from its lair. At first he
put out his head to look and listen;
and then, discovering nothing alarm
ing, he erept feebIy iuto the open air.


b; ah! what sitnatiou for a
wounded aud exhausted man. "a i"IS
days journey from the Nearest help
and surrounded by an unfriendly will
erness. His rifle he had left with his
wife for her defense. if needed, for
pioneer women were often expert with
a gun; and hence his huuting knife
was his only weapon.


But he was more troubled concern
ing his girl wife, alone in. the distant
cabin, than he was about himself.


The pain of his wounded limb was
forgotten in the keener anguish of fear
least the blood-thirsty Shawaness
should follow the trail to the stockade,
and succeed in killing or capturing the |
woman who constituted its only garri- |
son


As he lay on the autum leaves in the |
afternoon sunshine, filled with such |
forebodings, hunger began to clsmor
within him, and crawling painfully to
the carcass of the panther, he cut off |
and tried to eat some of this most un-
savory meat.


At this moment the faint iarring Of
distant steps came through the forest
silence to his ears, and feeling bis ina
bility to defend himself from even the
smallest danger, he turned and began
bc creep back toward the Kidding
plact.


While he is thus engaged let us look
into the cabin and see how Annie is
faring.


knowing we'll her own perilous sit
nation, she kept argus watch during
Leslie's absence; and toward the even
ing of the day ON which he was shot,
what was her surprise to hear the
horse whinny at the gate of the stock
ade, as it was nearly twenty-four
hours too soon TO look for her husband.


Running to a port-hole, her heart
sank as she saw the animal without a
rider. She unbbared the heavy gate
and let in the painting, foaming,
streaked creature, where, in a moment,
she discovered the bloody proof of
what had befallen her husband. The
buckskin saddle-cloth was soaked in
bis biood


But Annie VISA brave aud thought
full woman, aud therefore gave way to
weak and foolish. Firmly
boltIng the gate again. she took down
the gun, powder horn and bullet
pouch from the hook on the cabin
wall, and filled an iron fiettle over the
fire, determined if the wages attack
I'd the stockade, to resist them with
both fire and water. Then, while
keeping a keen lookout through the
port holes and from the cabin ROOT, she 1
thought over the case and laid her
plans. I


From the amount of the blood on
he saddle, she concluded that Leslie
had held his seat for some distance
after being shot, and hence, perhaps,
lad escaped the Indians She surmised