The Lion That Went Through the Mill. h HENRY WALLACE PHILLIPS. '4 M M ... All thnt was left of the one-time flourishing Point-View gold-mining camp was a line of empty cabins, a vast and .vacant mill, one Jack Ste vens, with his wile and two children, and myself. It was lonely In the deserted camp, terribly so at times. The canon was -deep and narrow, and the twilight early In the afternon fiathered round the dark spruces which lined the sides ol the creek. Yet the place had a black and dreary grandeur of its own that held one in certan fascination We five mortals were sore put to It at times to find occupation which would take our minds from the fact that we were cut off from the rest of humanity. Every piece of necessary work was elaborated and spun out to the extreme limit. But of course it would eventually come to an end, and then we were obliged to invent some task. . One afternoon, as we were busy constructing a small water-mill. Jack stopped in his whittling and tossed the knife to his boy, saying: "This thing wouldn't cut warm but 'ter. ' Run over to the mill, Willie, and give it a rub on the grindstone. Sally, you :go, too, and turn the stone for your brother." The children trotted cheerfully off, and were soon swallowed up in the cavernous mill, while Jack and I sat down to rest, watching the sunlight creep up the eastern canon wall. ' Suddenly shriek after shriek rang out from within the mill. Jack fairly flew in that direction, grabbing up an ax as he ran. I made for the cabin to get the rifle, i, "Something wrong with the chil dren!" I shouted to the astonished Mrs. Stevens, as I dashed into the tonne. I snatched up the rifle and rushed out again, followed by the frightened mother. Half-way to the mill we met little Bally. She was almost out of her wits with fright. "What is it, dear? What is it?" ask ed hef mother, shaking her vigorously, from excitement. ' '"Great big dog tried to tried to Jump on us!" cried the child between gasps. . That was enough for me. I knew there were no dogs round, but several times lately we had heard the squalling of a mountain-lion close at hand, and lad also seen the prints of his padded feet in the soft earth of the (Teek banks. We paid little attention to these signs, for the puma, generally speaking, is a cowardly brute, with but little stomach for attacking a strong foe, unless urged on hy the pangs of hunger. Then, however, with his great strength and agility, he be comes a very formidable antagonist Indeed. "Evidently," I thought, "the brute has made his den in the mill, where there are so many nooks and crannies that he could stay a year without our being a whit the wiser, unless he chose to reveal himself." By the time I had this reasoned out I was at the door of the building. "Where are you, Jack?" I called, for It was dark as pitch in there, and at SrA I could see nothing. "Here by the first set of stamps. Got the gun?'; ' "Yes, indeed! What happened?" "' "Willie says that he and Sally were sharpening the knife, when they heard a noise and looking up, saw on the blacksmith's bench a " , "Great big yaller animal!" burst in Willie. "Most as big as a horse. And he began to kind o' wriggle his nose at us an' holler, and Sally she screech ed, an; I picked up the knife an' got ready for him. Eut he didn't like the noise that Sally made, I reckon, for he jumped clean over the hoiler.fcan' he's in behind there somewhere now." !" This little story without stops was effective. "Weren't you scared, Willie?" I asked, rather in awe of the youngster. "Well kind o'," he admitted. "But I was going to stay with him just the same." "Pretty sandy hoy, eh?" said Jack, with fatherly pride. "Well, I should say so! But what fio yoti think it was, Jack mountain lion?" .. . . , "Sure.'! ., "What fcfg you going to do?" :I)ig him out," responded Jack, promptly. "Um!" said I. "What's the matter? Ain't afraid, are you?" "No no. Not at all," t answered, earnestly. "Of course not Why should I be. ' The worst that he could do would be to scatter me all over the mfll. To be sure, I should prefer a more collected end, as it were. IWhat's you plan of campaign?" "Why, Willie will run up to the cabin and get some candles and my six-shooter, and then we'll drive him Into a corner and plug him full of holes." ' I whistled. "Well," said Jack, "don't -ou ap prove of the idea?" "Approve? Approve of chasing a full-grown puma through this mess of stamps and beams and truck by candle-light? Why, I think it is noth ing less than genius which suggests the scheme. The only- thing that I Ion't like is the idea of shooting him . when we get him cornered or he gets as cornered, as the case may toe. I think it would be more portsmnlike to take him by the tail and snap his head off." "Oh, quit your nonsense!" said Jack. "We can handle him all right. Now, Willie, hustle up to the house and get a handful of candles and my revolver. See that every chamber is loaded and fetch a box of cartridges besides. Tell you ma that we've got the hunt of our lives on hand. Skip now, son!" Away went Willie in great glee. It seems that he got the needful article without attracting his mother's atten tion until it was too late for her to interfere; he had a well-grounded sus picion that she would enter a protest. I tried to convince Jack that it would be the part of wisdom to wait for daylight, but he refused to listen. Jack was one of the best-hearted fel lowers in the world, but he possessed a lack of caution wfcich was very ir ritating to more intelligent people. Willie returned only too soon with the munitions of war, and we began our preparations. "Are you going to get that candle lighted?" asked Jack impatiently. I felt like answering, "Not if I can help myself," but I withstood the temptation, and said Instead: "It's the funniest candle I ever 6aw. I think it must be made of marble. Match doesn't seem to have any effect on it." "That's 'cause your hand jiggles so," remarked Willie. I bent a stern brow on the young man. "Willie," said I, "Is it possible that you can make sport of the nervous agitation brought on by the knowledge of the danger through which you have just passed?" "Beg your pardon," said Willie hum bly. Then I heard a sound that cheered my drooping soul. The mill door which Willie had closed save ust so that the lion could not get out, was opened, and a feminine voice shrilled through the echoing building with: "Jack Stevens, come right out of there, and Willie, and you, too, Henry! I never heard of such foolishness! Come out, I say!" "Look out, Mollie! Shut the door, quick! There he comes!" yelled Jack, in well-Bimulated fright. Slam! went the door, and a rapid pattering of feet showed that my only ally had deserted me. Then the hunt began. It is a strange fact by nature that the man who is the least interested In an occasion of this kind is always the one whov finds the quarry. This time went by the rule I discovered the mountain-lion. We had poked around for about a quarter of an hour, with- the candle shadows flitting strangely and un pleasantly about, and the foolish notion entered my brain that perhaps the lion was only a creation of the children's imagination; therefore I re laxed my vigilant guard of the rear and plunged carelessly ahead. As I stooped to pass under one of the big braces of the mill, a yell as of forty- seven demented Sioux Indians assault ed my ear-drums, and I was knocked on the flat of my back In a twinkling. "There he goes!" yelled Jack. "Are you hurt, Henry?" "Oh, no!" I answered, cheerfully. Nothing but a fractured skull and a few dislocated vertebrae. I hope the lion hasn't crippled himself. 'Twould be too bad to spoil the fun right at the start." "Come on! Come on!" howled Jack. Don't lie there talkine!" And with thil: he and Willie tore lifter the flee ing beast. The chase led tip the rickety steps to the second floor of the mill. The lion made it In two jumps and Jack in four. I took it in a dignified one step at a time, not being in so much of a hurry. The scene which presented itself to my gaze as my head rose above the floor was a lively one. The big cat, crazy with fright, bound ed round the place in great leaps. After him went Jack and Willie, wild ly excited and without any thought of possible consequences. All myself in cluded, as I found to my astonishment were screeching and yelling their loudest. The (lust rose in stifling clouds from beneath the hurrying feet. The lion scrambled up one side of the mill, and galloped across the beams toward me. "Head him off! Head him off!" shrieked Jack. I let fix builds fly in the general direction of the animal before one could say "scat." I didn't hit him but the fountain of fire and noise caused him 10 change his mind. He stopped midway between lis, throwing quick glances first at one, then the other. He was a beautiful shot as he stood there, but the last shell had jammed in the gun, and I couldn't get it out to save me. As I tugged at the ejector Jack began to howl: "Shoot! Shoot'! You idiot! Why don't you shoot?" he waved his revol ver over his head in a frenzy. ,. I .dropped my rifle and regarded him calmly. "Think a moment," said I. "What's that in your right hand?" He brought his hand down and look ed at it. Then, I am pleased to state, he looked exceedingly foolish. "Oh!" said he, and pulled up to fire. Before the hammer fell, though, the cat had jumped one last 'beautiful spring of at least forty feet, ' 'right down Into the open door of an ore chute that seemed to present a means of escape. He landed fairly In the opening. There was a scratching and flurry, and then he slipped down to the floor be low. With a whoop of triumph Jack and . I rushed to the chute. Ho was our cap tive now, beyond peradvenlure, as the chute, a mere box of wood, about four feet square, that led from the top floor of the mill to the stamp floor be neath us, was closed at Its lower end by u hopper-shaped spout with an opening too small for anything larger than a house cat to crawl through. The upper part of the chute, that portion above the door, was filled with partially crushed ore, which had jam med instead of sliding down, as it should have done. We were ready at the doorway. In case the brute man aged to crawl up the nearly perpen dicular 'sides. Thus his escape was cut off In every direction. We bent eagerly over the doorway, and peered own through the dark ness at our victim. There he was, his eyes shining green in the candle-light, growling and sputtering. As, rille in hand, I leaned to get a better view, I lost my balance, and nearly pitched head first down to that incarnation of fury below. I struck out vigorously to recover myself, and in the flurry managed to discharge the rifle. The bullet smashed into the ore In the top of the chute. In an Instant the whole mass, released by the shock of the bullet, slid down the chute with a dull roar. Clouds of dust puffed out into our faces, covering us with a coat of grime. There came a squawk from beneath us. "Hooray!" said Jack. "Now we have got him." As there was about five tons of dirt pressing down on the beast, I accept ed the conclusion. After the jubilation of victory came a council of war. Should we leave our victim to die a prolonged death from suffocation, or pull' a board off and give him a more merciful end by bul let? While we were arguing a bril liant thought came to me. "Why not take him alive?" said I. "Old Bronson, up at Deadwood, would give twenty dollars for such an addi tion to his menagerie." That caught Jack Immediately. We needed the money, for one thing, and then there was something novel in capturing a living puma. We rushed down stairs and started to hunt up material for a cage. For tune favored us. We soon found a strong crate, In which machinery had been shipped, that with a little chang ing served the purpose well. We put the open end of this over the mouth of the hopper; then, working with a crowbar between the slats, we pried the top board off the hopper. A little round patch of yellow head showed above the smooth surface of the dirt. We dug round it with sticks until at last we had the whole head uncovered. At first we thought the brute was dead, but soon he opened his eyes and gazed about him. His expression was meek and hum ble. Indeed his experiences were enough to break the proudest spirit. It was impossible for him to move In the closely packed earth. Then we fell to work, and completed the excavation. When at last the puma was free, he shook himself vi gorously, walked into the cage and lay down. He jiaid no attention while we moved the cage out and nailed the front on. Willie and Jack went out to bring Mrs. Stevens in. We had completely forgotten that the coating of dirt al tered our appearance remarkably. Therefore Jack didn't know what to make of it when his wife, after cast ing a glace upon him, gave one pierc ing shriek and shut herself up in the closet. It took some time for Jack to convince her that he was of a verity her husband, and not some strange, new kind of Indian. Then she and Jack and Willie and Sally marched in to the mill. Now I had watched the beast and can testify that he never moved a muscle. We all stood round the cage, wondering and admiring. The puma certainly was a fine animal. His body must have measured four feet. - 'He's been as quiet as a cow ever since we caged him," said Jack. "Dear me, isn't that strange!" said Mrs. Stevens. "I should have thought that he would have raised ructions." At that moment, as if the words had convinced the animal that he was not acting a proper part, he sprang to his feet with a yell that stopped our cir culation, Jack, the hitherto unte'rrlficd. grab bed his wife and Jumped backward. Willie and Sally ran behind their pa rents. I was too astonished to move and watched open-mouthed. The puma went ramping, tearing mad He bit and tore at the cage with such speed and fury that he roll ed it over the place, snarling, growl ing, coughing and roaring, until 11 seemed that all the unpleasant noises of the world had been let loose in the mill. The .cage was fairly strong, hut it was never Intended to hold such a compound of active volcano and con centrated tornado as now raged in its midst.' There came a sharp crackling; some slats flew across the floor; then, with a farewell yell, the puma sprang over the heads of Jack and his family and vanished through the open door of the mill. "There goes our twenty dollars," said I, as soon as I was in a condition to speak. "Yes," piped up Willie, in a tone that showed his disappointment, "and I don't believe he'll ever come back again, either." This was a true word. He never did. .Youth's Con-anion. tmimtMrasMmi k. MtDONALS. 4TT0HKHT-AT-IAW, Notary Publio, real Mini a fast, ftl! l-curad, collection., trade promptly, tn Kya imata tulldlog, KejnoldiTlll Pa, J)R. fi. K. HOOVKlt, hev'oU'STILlh, rx. I, i .If'itlM. If the rinowt killing 4alu frirrer.. Gentirnrfta In operating. J)n. L. I MEANS, DENTI8TA. Office on seoond floor of Flirt Ka tlonal bank buildingr. Main ttreet, J)R. B. SEVERE KING DENTIST. Office en seoond floor Beynoldrrflk Real Estate Building, Main (trail Bnynoldsville, Pa, NEFF, , JUSTICE OF THE PEA.CT Aud Heal Estate A rent ReynoldrTlIU, frk gMITH M. McCREIGHT, ATTORN EY-AT-LAW. Rotary Public and Real Batata Aienta. Oak lactlona will rnoelra prompt attention. OAM In tha ReynoldoTllla Ilanrwara Co. falUUa, ataln (treat, Ktynoliiiville, Pa. Mark Twain has taken up the cud gels against tvco'speeding nintoists, and In a characteristic letter in Har per's Weekly ho proposes a novel means of detecting and punishing them. The law, he says, "dresses a convict in a garb which makes him easily distinguishable from any mov ing thing in the world at a hundred and twenty-five yards, except a ze bra. If he escapes in those clothes he ennnot get far.'' He suggests that this principle be extended to inclmlo "his brother criminal, the Over speeder," who every day, throughout America, runs over somebody and es capes. At present, he points out, the automobile numbers are so small that ordinary eyes cannot read them, upon a swiftly receding machine, at a dis tance of a hundred feet. He suggest enlarging the figures, making them readable at a hundred yards. For of fences of over speeding he would have the figures enlarged, as a penalty, In place of a fine, to be re-enlarged for each subsequent offence. "With auto numbers readable as far as one could tell a convict train a barber pole, none of these criminals could run over a person and "escape." " To be drunk with success is to be indifferent to the s.irrows of men. AND USING - ft 1 ii S ; " S3 99 'pyk Hair u vu w y x THOS. J. BROOKS Louisville, Ky May 24, 1905. Gentlemen : Allow mc to say a word endorsing' the remarkable merits of your Rexall "113" Hair Tonic, My attention was called to this rem edy by one of your clerks, who guar anteed beyond question it would stop my hair falling out, and also put my scalp in healthy condition for new hair. I hand you photograph before start ing to use it, which shows me to be nearly bald. After using two bottles I saw decided improvement, so con tinued its use. I have used seven 50- THOS. J. BROOKS cent bottles, and have a heavier suit of hair than 1 ever had in my life. ' 1 also enclose photograph taken a few weeks ago, showing the wonder ful results in a short time. I take great pleasure in making this statement to you, gentlemen, en dorsing your great Rexall "93" Hair Tonic, and will answer promptly all inquiries regarding it. , I am at present special agent of the Western and Southern Insurance Company, 21-22 Courier-Journal Of fice building, this city. Very respectfully, This is a remarkable case an exception to the rule. We do not promise that "93" will grow hair on every bald head but we do guarantee, because we know, that it will stop falling hair, cure dandruff, and give satisfaction to anyone needing a hair dressing. Hit doesn't, bring back the bottle, and we'll refund the 50 cents you pay for it. Stoke & Feicht Drug Co., Druggists The ffisttoCfc Store ft- rW 11 Is the Chew for Me! S011APNO is the chosen chew of every man who likes to get a soft, juicy quill in his mouth a chew that Ucfean ahove all things. SCItAPXO, the Clean Chewing Tobacco, is as clean as any food you eat. Choice, full length, long leaf, packed loose in the biggest kind of a, package always fresh, juicy and sweet. Three times as many "chews'' as in the average five cents' worth. Kept clean in a waxed paper wrapper, inside a strong paper bag that fits flat in your pocket. You Get a Package For Only 5 cents SOLD EVERYWHERE 0
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