The piano,
the organ, the old violin and other things were sold at auction. And
probably Helen Thomas, whose brilliant career he had made possible,
never heard anything about the circumstances of his death.
CHAPTER VIII
WHEN WE HUNTED THE STRIPED CATAMOUNT
The following week Tom Edwards and I had a somewhat exciting adventure
which, however, by no means covered us with glory. During the previous
winter and, indeed, for several winters before that, there had been
rumors current of a strange, fierce animal which came down, from the
"great woods" to devour dead lambs that were cast forth from the
farmers' barns in February and March.
At that time nearly every farmer in the vicinity kept a flock of from
fifty to a hundred sheep. During the warm season the animals got their
own living in the back pastures; in winter they were fed on nothing
better than hay. The animals usually came out in the spring thin and
weak, with the ewes in poor condition to raise their lambs. In
consequence, many of the lambs died soon after birth, and were thrown
out on the snow for the crows and wild animals to dispose of.
The old Squire had begun to feed corn to his flock during the latter
part of the winter, and urged his neighbors to do so; but many of them
did not have the corn and preferred to let nature take its course.
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