

A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE. 



: 



denly struck me that if the father should return to 

 is family and discover me engaged in rifling his 

 home, I should find myself in an ugly fix, especially 

 if without my musket. True, the weapon was an 

 awkward thing to take into such a confined place ; 

 still, for all that, I did it ; and fortunate it was that I 

 me to this resolve, as after-circumstances will show. 

 " Encumbered with my gun, my progress to 

 he end of the den was much slower than formerly, 

 and then it took me quite half an hour before I 

 could find the crack into which the little devil had 

 squeezed itself ; and so deep had it gone into it that, 

 far as I could reach my arm, I could only get hold 

 of the kitten's tail. At length, by poking it with 

 the ramrod, I forced it to change its position, which 

 enabled me to grasp a leg, and thus draw the prize 

 forth. To master the first kitten was not done 

 without trouble, but this one had twice the strength 

 and activity of its predecessor. Moreover, the little 

 fiend screamed as if he had the powers of maturity ; 

 but all was of no avail. I succeeded in tying its 

 feet, and was placing a gag of rheim across its 

 mouth, when, instantaneously as thought, the trifling 

 light failed me, and all within was impenetrable 

 darkness. Full well I knew that there could be 

 but one cause for this, and how I blessed the happy 

 thought that made me bring with me my gun. 

 Serious as my position was, I had no fear, although 

 I knew that the fight must terminate in the death 



