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Show A BRAVE INDIAN "You can say what you mind to ibout the nerve ot tho rodsklns, but don't say it when I'm around," thundered thun-dered Col. B Scenting a story, tho cowpunchcrs crowded nearer the ranchman. The room of tho ndobo shack was blue with tobacco smoko; Just the at-moinhere at-moinhere that seemed to Inspire tho old man. 'I haV;o followed a flock of canvas-backs canvas-backs down tho Potoau for miles, watting watt-ing for thorn to float within rango, and I've watched with Increasing heart beats a battle between the dogs and black bears In tho Mississippi cane-brake, cane-brake, but this was my first and only experience with a wild-cat," sold tho colonel, betwun puffs ot his corn-cob pipe, by way ot Introduction. "It was In southwestern Arkansas in the days when you got to St. Louis by riding a third of the way astride a broncho, another third In a stago-tcoach stago-tcoach and tho rest of tho way In a train which the natives would scorn If It was run over tho Jenny Llnd coal branch to-day. "Red Blanket had boon my chum ever since our fathers had smoked the pipo ot peace and had agreed not to murder each other oftencr than once a week. It was during tho big Cherokee Chero-kee payment when Undo Sam unloaded unload-ed several millions of his treasury notes on tho members ot that tribe, and every Indian was rich; that Is, until the tradesmen from the fort collected col-lected their long-outstanding accounts. ac-counts. "Red Blanket and I took advantago of the excitement to slip off Into, tho hills for a quiet hunt. We took only our guns and ammunition. Nelthor had been educated to carry a kit full of eatables when we set forth for big game. And I don't remember ever having missed a meal, either. "We hunted all day with fair success suc-cess and were searching tor a good place to camp tor the night when we encountered the wild-cat. Boys, I have had some terrifying experience In my time, but they were as tame as a euchre party at a church festival compared to this one." "I pride myself on my keen ears, but It it hadn't been for Red Blanket I don't think I would be here to repeat this yarn. My first Inkling that anything any-thing was wrong camo when tho Indian In-dian deliberately tripped me.' I fell alongside a log under tho branches of x big tree. "'Don't move,' I heard him say. Before I had time to "Voll over and demand an explanation, I heard a whlr-r-r through tho air, followed by a shot and a gleeful cry, If an Indian Is capable ot such art exclamation. "The whlr-r-r chilled tho very marrow mar-row in :n bones, and I believe my heart stopped plugging for an instant, but the shot caused me to jump to my feet. Something fuzzy-llko brushed my coat as I rose from tho ground. I followed Rod Blanket's gazo to tho object. "Strussllng In Its final agony was tho monster. Ordinarily they are not very big, but this one was about the size of a young panther. Boys, as you know, I'm not much given to demonstrations, demon-strations, but when I realized what had happened, I Just hugged that Indian In-dian kid. "As ho dexterously skinned tho cat, he told me that ho threw, mu down when his eyes met tho gleaming balls of fire ot tho follne, crouched In tho tree, ready to spring, he thought, upon my head. And I always will bellove that he artod none too soon. "That whlr-r-r through tho air convinced con-vinced me that the beast would have torn my eyes out had I not hit tho ground when I did. What do you think of that Indian, standing up there as cool as an Iceberg and sending send-ing a ball Into, the very center of that cat's heart as 'it leaped for me? "A good shot? You bet It was, and it took nerve, too, to hit the mark." |