Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 123: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘TEXAS ““What’s she going for?” George perti- nently demanded. “To satisfy her fool curiosity,” Melissa snapped. “ That’s the only reason I can see.” “She shall not go alone,” Thetis cried as she also disappeared through the door into the darkness. This was the signal for a general exodus from the house. Every one rushed forth as if determined to capture Mary Ann. The negro man, a pine torch in each hand, soon joined them. : “Where’s she gone?”’ Mrs. Carrington demanded. She was about fifty yards from the house, on the way toward the branch, and there was no sign of Mary Ann. “‘ She’s right thar! See her dress!” Polly pointed and called out, but no reply came, and no one was able to see anything in the direction indicated by the negress. ““T guess the panther’s got her,” George confided to Georgiana. “Do they eat little boys and little girls, too?” Georgiana wanted to know. George’s reply was cut short by a note of terror in his mother’s voice. “Something horrible has happened,” Mrs. Carrington declared. ‘‘ That girl has disappeared. There’s her gun on the ground —tright there by. you, Melissa.” Melissa gingerly picked up the gun.- It was Mrs. Pope’s. Several voices called to Mary Ann, but there was still no response. If she had only gone to the branch she could easily have heard them. It was not more than three hundred yards from.the house. In amazement the little crowd stood won- dering what had happened. Thetis soon recovered sufficiently to take charge of the situation. She ordered them all back into the house and, taking the negro man and Polly.with her, started bravely toward the branch. In a few moments they arrived near the water. : There was no sign of Mary Ann. Thetis called, again with no success. It was as though the earth had opened up and swal- lowed the girl. And then Mrs., Carrington thought she heard horses. The sound was so muffled that she could not be sure, but she called again and again. No answer. In the excitement caused by this un- 8 Arcosy FEVER. 465 looked for disaster, the panther had been forgotten until a scream from Polly was accompanied by her announcement that: she could see his eyes again. Thetis went for- ward a few steps. Shading her face from the glare of the torch, she distinctly saw the outlines of some beast crouching in the tree across the branch. She could shoot, but she was not an accurate marksman. Nevertheless, she leveled her rifle and fired, and Polly fol- lowed her example. Whether it was Polly’s shot or Mrs. Carrington’s that took effect they did not know, but a commotion oc- curred in the branches and then the creature moved so that-it came more clearly into view. They had weunded it; and it was, as the negress had declared, a panther! ““He’s comin’ down on us,” the negro man cried in terror. “Not until after he gets across the branch,” Mrs. Carrington disdainfully an- nounced. She had loaded again and was ready to fire. This time she took accurate aim and the shot did the work. The pan- ther, mortally wounded, atternpted to reach the ground, but, half-way down, fell and _crashed into the bushes at the far side of the pool. “T think he’s done for,” Thetis an- nounced, ‘‘ but I wish I knew where that girl has gone.” She called again and again, but finally gave up ard started back to the house, hoping against hope that when she arrived Mary Ann would be there. She found the little garrison in a state of panic. Not only had Mary Ann not re- turned, but Mrs. Carrington’s shots had scared them almost to death. In imagina- tion they had seen her and her companions murdered in a dozen different ways. The Misses Lord had taken refuge in their usual manner and it was not until the customary administration of brandy that their hysterical cries and laughter were quieted. General consternation possessed the party because of Mary Ann’s mysterious disappearance. Try as they would, they could find no explanation, until one of the twins commenting upon the fact, suggested that whoever it was that put the ladder up to Mary Ann’s window at the inn was prob- ably the one who had got her now. comnmiclooolks.conn