| Show WILD BEASTS GUARD HER the strange protectors of a southern womans comans I iome home A wildcat once saved tier nor baby from a strange animal nad and then the cat brought ller her family to rholdo with her yesterday I 1 rowed up to the mouth of little eittle river riter tied my skiff to the root of a tree and walked slowly toward a grove of oaks in which there is a small whitewashed white while washed cabin where lives the pluckiest pluck iest little woman in louisiana when I 1 reached the gate and saw there as fine spec specimens linens of wildcat as I 1 ever saw in III the zoo fittim sitting in a row on the steps and eying me with alcime a comein come in if you dare darc expression my bump of bravery ery became almost hat flat but my determination mi mil nation lation bump puffed up to my rescue and stead steadying yin my voice I 1 called loudly mrs denson immediately appeared at the door and seeing my anxious face peering through the fence she used fixed lier ter ga gaze ze on r the 0 animals malmaud and pointing to the end of the gallery said firmly march boys down quiet I 1 then turning tome to me she said with a smile lift the t lie gate a wee nce N ce bit it hanga han q heavy in wet weather aud and come right in dont be afraid they are harmless as kittens when I 1 speak to them now take this chair its the easiest in thi the house heres a fan not very pretty but gives a good wind wont you to take ice oil off your hit hat and cool your head bead while youre resting ali ah there are tho the babies low how like young kittens kitten they are only more shy they play coall so all day but tho the mother knows youre a stranger rt str ranger nger and being suspicious is too much concerned about about the safety of her jealously guarded children to take part as she usually does I 1 in their sport see nee how ahe watches you den i i let il ii make you nervous tilio she is only alcaid thata all I 1 am tile the only one they know well and they dont dollt care to sise see anyone else hero here 1 iliceto like to watch thein playing ying and you have hava no idea how company they arc to me ine queer itaf it ff well I 1 dont know many people think so but it ioe but geem qi bic CL r tj me MC you we hee this is i Is how it t came 1 iut b how auw I 1 can it ID ba 13 jokingly c tin rile A ii it t 2 li u r rr ar r 1 I r i i ii 11 i of q f 88 1 wi ii 1 i 1 iri aa 1 had lei i 1 v i v tu tato take my liu hu a m 0 u i r ll 11 tile tho weather was favorable I 1 carried our baby and then VJ id stay may and have a lais chat with sam and talce take my time about vetter home hut but when I 1 thought ir if u unwise to take baby out why id lock up tile the house hurry to the prove grove and back again being afraid to leave him aloo too I 1 long ong on the day ol of which I 1 speak the sun was terribly hot with not it a particle of breeze i 1 daru dare talco take liim him out at that time e of day da and I 1 was afraid to leave liim in a close room without any fresh air I 1 opened one window halt half way mcl and tied it to so kissed hissed my sleeping boy I 1 jacked the door anil and hastened on my way with sams dinner my husband aaa as in very poor health but that day was in luch spirits that it cheered me greatly and I 1 came home singing at tile the top of my voice As I 1 entered our gate such a scream as few hear during a lifetime rent tile the air a ir followed in quick succession by three others equally terrible in one second I 1 located the direction from w which alich the sound came and then etwas it was my turn to scream but I 1 coulden couldn t I 1 had no voice to scream with I 1 had bad no breath hardly I 1 was cold and paralyzed from head bead to foot in one corner of the yard was tho the sight that nearly froze my blood there wasa was a strail strange ge fer ferocious 0 c ons look looking ing animal with my baby the skirt of his dress was I 1 in 11 his mouth while the little fellow fello w dangled in the air in front of the animal was a wildcat I 1 had seen many of them since living so near tho the woods but this one w was as unusually large every time the animal would take a step forward as though he intended going off with the baby tho the cat would glide up tip against him lash his tall tail crook his neck a certain attitude of theirs their sand and look as if lie intended killing hilling him that second and each time the animal screamed fearfully the cat invariably barred his way why he did so I 1 dont know unless he was jealous of his prize and determined to share it I 1 could account for his actions in ro LO other way I 1 was certain they were going to fight over the baby something had to be done and done ono quickly or I 1 would see se e my my child torn in two and eaten the thought made me as wild aseere as were the animals almost I 1 rushed in the house grabbed the shotgun and trembling like a leaf and praying with every breath fired through the window at the animal that had my baby my aim was unsteady and I 1 only maimed him it had the desired effect though for he limped off as rapidly as he could the wildcat at full tilt after him pouncing on him every second biting and scratching him and the baby was dropped on the ground in a moment the baby was safe in my arms and I 1 in a fit of hysterics the two animals were just outside the yard yail and fight in ingin a way to make ones flesh creep their cries became faint and then I 1 did not hear them again I 1 hugged our boy and trembled the reat of tile the day my aly nerves were completely shattered over the excitement lvery moment I 1 would draw my baby closer and promise never to leave him again and I 1 never did when sam came home he examined the trails ile he knew those of the wildcat at once but the others outliers he be bad never seen before the feet were ai ae long again as the cats but lie he did not know just what animal it was nor ever had an opportunity of finding out for the animal did not call a again aln the next mor morning niD allbut rT fut nine what should 1 sue see walkin walking around buethe but the same wildcat as is ba had I 1 saved the baby the day before was very bloody and besides looking as if he had leen been in a terrific geared to be half starved I 1 was not mistaken I 1 knew it was vas the same cat and while his intentions might have been the same as the other animal I 1 felt f elt grateful to him for saving my child but for his repeatedly barring tile the others ot liers way which prevented his get gel ting tin out of the yard before I 1 came bot both ll 11 would have gone and wed never have known the fate of our babe the tiling looked ced so bad I 1 felt sorry tor for him and tossed a bone bon e out of the window low ue ile went for it and was as gone in a minute and tile the next morning he be came back for an other bone which I 1 gave him with scraps from the kitchen lie ile came without fall fail every morning about the same time ate the small pieces of bread and meat and carried the bone away with him lie ile came so regularly that I 1 prepared his breakfast early put it in ILL a plate and set it near the fence where he be came in and then id watch for him his morning calls lasted for about two weeks when one morning to my surprise I 1 saw him come out of the hollow tree in the corner of our yard ills his impudence frightened me a little and amused me also ile he came out ate his breakfast or a part of it and then made several trips back bacic to the tree taking something in his mouth each time most lost of the day clay I 1 watched to see sec what ho he was sharing his meals with but did not see or hear anything g that night however after we had bad gone to our room sam looked out through the window and saw the old cat and two young ones playing in the moonlight she had liked the place so well she had moved her family there sam sain laughed and said baill we had bad three boarders ile he felt toward the old cat as I 1 did and we concluded to let her stay a awhile hile if they behaved this they did not once did they ibey do anything to cause us the least alarm alarin therbe they became wore more gentle every day and played over the yard like house cats in a year the youn young ones were as large us as their mother and the three were glossy and fat they would up and down the gallery for 1 art an ho h at a time and never pay the least to the baby who wa i toddling around aroi ind th atle not ion ions after this my gusba died and I 1 iu lesi than six mouth months I 1 lt our boy join joined ed his Is papa I 1 lw wai asal aim in despair as ai to what I 1 should do account of his ill health f wo we had ins alv a ased ed to put by only a little tor joa arl al I 1 day I 1 had no relatives to tro Q to alas I 1 came here hare as a bride our batt baby IV born here a good vf many years of ha h 1 pincas were I 1 spent pent under tho the roof this little cabin in spite of the thed dar a shadow I 1 felt drawn to the alae nl ili they are both buried out there ull ind ma those trees and I 1 cant ivor ever r lea ie i them 1 I had been vor very y successful si ill wi n raisins raising chickens and turkeys which theres aliva always Vs a ready mar m that thai field was open to in me a as an a near mea of livelihood liveli hool and I 1 to try lr 1 my only fear being abie thieves e ay iy hot f kinds the two and tour four y do know that I 1 you now barer a coo possum mink ciak stray cat or man manor or beast enters this thi yard at a an time the wildcats thi this s old one ive ha so long and her two children lice iee J them all away they are better I 1 far than the best watch dogs to I 1 found before the they Y took look up the I 1 residence here and became our ile pet something could be heard prowling aroun around d every night and not 0 oat 1 that but making oft off with a duck i chicken in his mouth no now W of the kind ever happens T they e m aji come around but are met or fr frighten i tells away before they ever ge get in th t yard and christmas week w I 1 eek every yea ye I 1 bring brin home from market a small f tune from the sale of my tu e 0 chickens and bucksa number of ic S besides eg erfft s I 1 dispose of during the year once in awhile a chicken en haw baw swoops down upon some unsuspecting that of oft enand iss is theon thing that ever gets bacad of the ca I 1 was as surprised a week ago hy by my old pet cat had an addition to h hi family amily f it had been so long lon si since n c I 1 he hi babies were born I 1 did not think she have any more but there they y ar 9 two fine little fellows as you se sc Well three were enough but I 1 shall a complain or interfere with her kee ing the other two I 1 dont know wh I 1 should do without them then abere ono one thing sure I 1 coul jit live her he alone nor meet with any success wi nit P fowl raising they sire aie unequaled r a guard when I 1 left I 1 w was escorted tot toll gate by mrs denson ml ava two of t t cats who walked alof aloag slowly at h b feet their tails under them hem and al meek and docile as 56 auy any 1 I eversa the old cat stayed OR OM the te gallery gallt rj st ti eying me uneasily as be hi had do all along but the th orient I 1 was 0 of the yard she was wag relieved and gar ga expression thereto by leaping off th t galle gallery and tearing lik mad over t yard her two babies babie after fter her wilder romp I 1 never saw aw than the five cats for the others other joined then them moment later As 1 push the skiff out and up the oars can glanced back at the small cabin an a smiled with admiration at the lit wilow widow who has lived for nearly fi bv years miles from a living person su si ported herself nicely and her krotec ors wildcats peterson la corre con n flence st r T w |
