The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-02-25

pany. She had turned with the current; ant
as good luck would have it, had swum in =
brc-iinc tor tie island, and there she stood
'o"kin@ As slick as if She hal been creased
HE los had by this time got nigh enough. as
calculated; and, with as little rum,us As
possible, slipped over the end. and let 90
my hold Of it. Twas right spread in the wa
ter before heard a plump, and looking
r"Hnd hit. >aw the panther hal left The.
10. an! taken to the water. too \, 6rs,
thought h: WAS after me | drew nv knife
w!'h oic hand, While I swan with the other
!'n: the pa"tie: did net mean 70 be quarrel
some that time. lie made but poor swim
'n'ns himself, anl appeared glad enough to
oct nl'oa dry ground without n.oics.inr me
50 we swan on, side l,v side. AMI not wcrl
was passed between lis. did not want to
make rice Of it: so let him pass me, ra,h-
"r than that he should fall behind. and rr,
anon" my legs. DfcourSc he landed first
ard lcoa!d hear ly the >.amI,in. of hoofs
that his s"d'icn appearance had kicked up "A
Jolly stampede among the creatures upon the
i>!aal. could see both deer and mare. dan
ri"" all ovcr the ground, as if Cd Nick him,
ell h:d lot among them. None of them
however, thought OF taking to the water
hey had al had cno:: =. o.! that, | guess. |
Kept rather near. so as no: 10 land nirh liz.
l'at!er: a,!l th,n. touching bottom. climbed
1'a''iE NJ I,ic mound | had harll, draw.
my drli'lin. carca>c ou' oc the water. when
heard L ,r,.l e';rr;,l w.lic,. | knew 10 b
i'" Sh.n Of my Oh mare anl i,:s; at ,har
minnie III" creature. zane running w and
rnhie'.. her nose !. .i,l:: III, shoulder. Itook
ife !',.'rr III niy hand ani sliding round :;
little. lr.n.'c! upon her LAX. .or I sill W.
III '''2r Of TIE panther: AID he mares la.
ai.FaFo'' to mc The >af,~; place about: and
TN. wasn't very Sc, imagine.
Il no" looked AL :o9nd to see what new
company had 90; into. The day was in~-
breaking. and ccu!d distinguish a little bet,
i"r ryrrv minute. The top OF the mound.
winch vas above wa'c-. vas not over ha!. II.
a''!r IN ~. and K was a> clear a. any r9r.
ct the prairie 50 that could see ever, mel
cl IT. and everything o.. ii as GIG as a tumble,
tar. suppose s,r.nrcr. ,!.,: a, yo. vii!
hari'; o"..crc NE when ,ril ,ou the con
q" rliat!on Of ,e:nin TIA. ..as :,.cn anl :!:..r,
COZ! -r"gatei to..t'i,r could hardly l..
iieNt ny oHn c,c> when | bcL2d =. h /;
@:h"rin". an! thought had ~. al.oa.l oi
.>oaA> ...k There wa- l:,.cn, stranger
first. ny old mare and III, self. AMI | wished
l'oIh OF Us anywhere else at the ,imc-;llcii
there was III" panther. NV old acquaintance
then there were four dctr. a luck and three,
toes. ihcn came a catamount: and after
h:'i i Tia, bear. almost rs larHc rs buffalo
hen there was riccoon. an oi'>sum and a
cnUbc Of ray wolves. and swamp rabbit
an,l. worse than ala sinking skunk Per
hal'> ;hc latter wasn't the most dangerous
vcrnn on the ground Int it cartainlv was
the most di>a4rccablc o. the whole lot, tor il,
>Hc.t only as poccat can smell.
Il have said, stranger. that was michii,
taken by surprise when | saw this curious
'c.anlaniircy OF creatures: but can tell YOU
WAS >t!.i more .lumbiounlcrcd when | saw
their behavior to one another. knowing then
different natures as did. There was tn,
panther lying close up to the dccr,-its nat
ucal prey and there were the wolves too
and there was the cl;amount. standing with
IN three irct oi the oios>um and the swami
rabbit anI there were the bear and the Gun
Ling ot! coon and there they all We're, II,
more I!!i .inr one lao;lci then ii they la,
>icn; all ti!eir days together in the same pei,
1t was the od!cst sight ever bchcld; and i
: reminded me OF a l!t OF Scri ripturc my o!'
mother had often read from book called II,
! Bible. or some such nanc-about lion tha
t WAS 50 tame he used TO squat down beside
I lamb, without la, ing claw upon the inn'
n cent creature Well, stranger, as am sa,
: inr, ;hc who.c nar;, behaved in this yer
:. way. The, all appeared down in the mou,
: and badly scared about the water; but io
G all that; had my fears that the panther u
p the bcar-l wasn't afraid OF any OF the other
-m sht get over their fright after the Hoo
fell and therefore | kept as quiet as any or,
: OF them during the whole time was in thci
company, and staying all the time close b.
the mare. But neither bear nor r,anii.c
showed any savage propensity the whole u
next day nor the night that followed it.
Stranger, it would tire you were to tel
YOU all the movements that took place a
mong these creatures during that long da
and night. Never one Of them laid too:
or claw on the other. was hungry cnoug
my>clt. and would like to have taken stca
T, from one OF the deer: but dare not do it.
was afraid to break the peace. as il migli
have led TO general '>hindy.' When da
, broke the ncxt morning after, saw that tn
flood was falling; and as soon as it was slai
low enough, led NY mare quietly INTO tn
water, and climbing upon her back. took
silent leave Of nv companions. The waite
still took my mare ur to the ilanks, So that
, knew none of the vcrmin could follow with