The desert home : or, The adventures of a lost family in the wilderness . signalto rush forth. Once more broke out that terrible cry; and we couldnow hear the sweeping of leaves, and the crackling ofbranches, as if some huge animal was tearing its way throughthe bushes. The birds flew up from the thicket, terrifiedand screaming ; the horse neighed wildly ; the dogs sent forththeir impatient yelps, and our children shrieked in rose the deep and sonorous roar, filling the valleywith its agonizing tones. The cane rattled as it yielded tothe crushing hoof. We saw the leaves of the t
The desert home : or, The adventures of a lost family in the wilderness . signalto rush forth. Once more broke out that terrible cry; and we couldnow hear the sweeping of leaves, and the crackling ofbranches, as if some huge animal was tearing its way throughthe bushes. The birds flew up from the thicket, terrifiedand screaming ; the horse neighed wildly ; the dogs sent forththeir impatient yelps, and our children shrieked in rose the deep and sonorous roar, filling the valleywith its agonizing tones. The cane rattled as it yielded tothe crushing hoof. We saw the leaves of the thick under-wood shaking at a distance,—then nearer,—then up to theedge of the glade,—and the next moment a bright-red objectappeared through the leaves, and dashed out into the open-ing. We saw at a glance it was the ox ; but what could itmean ? Was he pursued by some monster—some beast ofprey ? No ; not pursued, but already overtaken. Look !see what the ox carries on his shoulders ! O heavens ! whata sight! We were all for a while as if thunderstruck. Between. ?^.^m^-^ -? The Ox Killed b^ tlie Carcajou. THE DESERT HOME. IO3 the shoulders of the ox, and clutching him around the neck,was a large animal. It at first sight appeared to be a massof brown, shaggy hair, and part of the ox himself—so closelywas it fastened upon him. As they drew nearer, however,we could distinguish the spreading claws, and short, muscularlimbs of a fearful creature. Its head was down near thethroat of the ox, which we could see was torn, and dappledwith crimson spots. The mouth of the strange animal wasresting upon his jugular vein. It was tearing his flesh, anddrinking his blood as he ran ! The ox, as he came out of the thicket, galloped butslowly, and routed with less energy than before. We couldperceive that he tottered as he ran, still making for the a short time he was in our midst, when, uttering a longmoan, he fell to the earth with the death rattle in his throat. The strange a
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