The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-08-11
An incident In Early Life in Illinois.

In 1928, forty.seyen years ago, Mr..
John o. Prentice resided IN Hllsboro,
Montgomery county, Illinois. Hillsboro
was then frontier hamlet of some less
than dozen houses, built Of logs in the
old fashioned style, without any ceiling
other than the roof Of split boards. Dur
ing the year mentioned, Mr.. and Mrs.
Prentice desiring to visit their son, who
resided at Vandalia, the then capital Of the
state, left their little family Of three child
rem, two boys of seven and nine, and one
daughter, thirteen years of age, to take
care Of the premises during their absence.
The sister, the eldest, had invited neigh
boring acquaintance, another girl of about
her age, to stay with them during the par
ents' absence, as they would be gone some
time, travelling in those days being slow,
and especially as they intended visiting re-
latives, which meant more than the fash
ionabe call of to-day.
One night, when the two boys had re-
tired, and the girls were about to do like
wise, well known and terrible scream was
heard in the woods near by, soon followed
By harsh scraping or scratching sounds at
the front door of the dwelling. The noises
at the door, like those awful premonitions
which often occur in ones life, when some
thing terrible is at hand, at once aroused
and mortified the household of little ones.
The sounds were Intellectually continued
for some time, none of the half frightened
to death children daring to open the door.
Presently the rasping noise ceased ut the
front, and after few moments Of terrible
stiffness, the same clawing and scraping
commenced at the back door, but with the
same result as at the first. Finally it
ceased altogether, and soon was distin-
gUished something clambering up the cor
ner of the house, Next was heard heavy
tread, like that of good sized calf, walk
ing over the ROOT, approaching the chimney,
down which the animal proposed to
descend. By this time the whole house
hold OF youngsters was aroused and
thoroughly alarmed. Something must be
done more than noise. There they were
with retreat cut off or impossible, and a
persevering monster, of which the forests
of Illinois then abounded, determined to
make his way into their midst down the
chimney. In vain they called for help,
and a large family dog which had never
before failed when his services were need
ed, but no one responded-not even the
faithful watch dog. The chimney and fire.
place being Of the old fashioned, large
kind, matters we're getting desperate, when
with that quick readiness for emergencies
of which the female mind is so prolific, the
daughter, Miss Prentice, conceived plan
of getting rid of their unwelcome visitor.
Being true heroine, and acting at once,
she snatched up straw bed which was to
be their "dowDy couch of case" that night,
and thrust it into the fire. At once there
was glaring blaze in that grand old fire
place-the flames shooting up to the top Of
the chimney, and then, too, there was a
hideous, angry growl heard on the roof,
and with tremendous bound an immense
panther ledped to The ground! The blood
thirsty prowler Immediately beat a hasty
retreat to the woods near by, and not until
he was at safe distance, and gone from
the premises, could the faithful watch
dog" be induced to come forth from bis
hiding place.
The nine-year old boy is now Rev. VIM
s. Prentice, of this city, we'll known
throughout central and southern Illinois
and presiding elder of the Methods
church Of the Decatur district, who relatet
this incident of frontier life to US day o
so since, and says for years afterward tn
great terror to him were the panther CLAW
marks on the door Of the house, aud whe
he heard the panther scratching the door
and walking on the roof Of the house tina
memorable night, he began: Now | la
me down to Sleep" etc.-SpriRgfetd III
custer.