The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-01-18

keep me from forgetting next time
~ had no fear Of any particular wild
animal, but | dreaded walk through
the woods at night, as many an older
person does.
"The sky had become perfectly clear
during the afternoon, and bright moon1
was shining, but think that made my
situation more gloomy and dismal. The
few arrows of moonlight which found
their way through branches half dennd-
ed of leaves gave q ghostly touch to
everything.
"The trunks Of the trees on my right
and left took all sorts of erotesque
shapes Sometimes was sure they were
walking silently through the forest. and
then they were dancing up and down,
and waving their knotty arms at me.
"They appeared to be putting their
heads together, and holding whispered
consultations about me. They nodded
their tons, they rushed down at me,
suddenly checking themselves when al;
most touching me. Then they all joined
hands and kept up waving waltz at
my side. ,.
"Hundreds of such iancies and mag
inings went through my head, and every
step took was one Of terror. | started
to whistle once, but the lonely sound
scared me, and I stopped instantly,
walking on tip-toe, and p0using now
and then to listen for ghosts.
"When / reached the hollow where |
crossed on the log / was sure some wild
beast was following me. | heard the
soft 'tip-tip Of his feet behind me, and
when J glanced around was sure l
caught the phosphorescent CLEAN OF his
eyes.
ct may have been all faucy--and
I'm inclined to think it was, looking
back to that terrible night; but / was
then so certain that panther was at
nv heels that, when | came to the log,
| ran ut full speed across.
Glow could do it in the dark was
mystery, but, under n strong mental
strain. n person is capable OF perform
ing seeming impossibilities.
"When / was near the middle, the
rotten log suddenly gave way, under the
unusual strain of my hurried footsteps.
The distance was not far, and when [
felt it going made leap which landed
me on the other shore. Scrambling up
, the bank, [ ran along the path as fast
, Ms | could
, "Such reckless travelling was discom--
fortinp. if not dangerous, and was not
, long in finding it out. The path was
not marked very plainly, and | had not
gone very far before a projecting llmD
= caught me beneath the chin, and |
thought for a minute that it bad sawed
q my head of. Still | rushed on, until l
!. ran violently against n tree, nearly
i knocking my brains ont, when | came
. down to slower and more guarded
G walk.
. "Just then I heard scream in the
:, woods to my right. 1t rang out on the
% air with startling clearness, and l IN
SANITY answered it.
Ia " Mother has become alarmed was
~. my thought, and she has come out tC
!. look for me-
" at was a great relief to find that
y; ~ was to have companionship the rest o
"a the way even though that companion
Nv was likely to visit her wrath upon u,
"a for disobeying her,
~ $50 | hastcned forward, and had no
to gone far when the same cry struck m.
W ear this time sounding much closer thai
y. before. ] answered, and stopped to wal
nt my mothers coming.
III 81 don't think stood there ten sec
" onds when it suddenly flashed upon m
~ that the scream which had heard wa
~ made, not by my mother, but by
ot panther
ho "My hair fairly rose ON end, for m
wa danger was friShtful. The panther In
an doubtless recognized my call at once, M
nd was rapidly approaching me, lie woul
be upon the very spot where | was stan'
nv ing within The next live minutes ! Whi
.as should / do?
, 80 evidently there was but the OF
~ thing that could he done. 1t was us
nd less to attempt to run away, and so
no climbed a tree.
se "In my haste and panic-stricken col
at dition, forgot that it depended yer
ed much upon what kind of tree l climbe
N that is, whether it was large or sma
lis one.
"The panther possesses prodigiou
vas strength and activity, and have see
ok, them make leaps since that night whit
my Won would pronounce incredible were
ore to relate them.
ted 81 had gone upabout twenty feet VIII
| suddenly awokc to the fact that l h
ob's assembled o sapling, which was alrea
dis bending fearfully low-so much so Il
was il threatened to break off entirely W
,am me-
heu "I saw that would never do, for WI
'ele the wild beast should appear on
'iia' scene-whch he was sure to do v
Aio- soon-he would have no trouble at al
making q choice supper off me.
the "' 1t won't take me long to find
the ter tree, I said to myself, beginning
gh L descend; 'and I'll climb so high t
eat he'll have no chance to get sign
AIRY me-
eing 81 had got that far in my musir
, no and was within few feet of the grou
ling when the panther screamed again
cle's more than fifty yards distant
81 was thrown into wild panic, q
we're turning about, went up the tree ag
from with precipitancy that came with
lie a hairs breadth of bringing the top
head myself over upon the ground.
-. CAT the same instant, heard
io' animal coming stealthily through
:, t ,,t;i wood, and recall that, even in
' nna appalling moment, I detected the
anu anu steps OF another, in almost fan opp'
game "Tt Tins looked as if two fierce
lining tbora we've about TO ouarrel as to w
should have the privilege Of first 7
my ing me to shreds, and l was convi
llas ~ that my last hour had come.
it the 81 crouched down into the saplii
A the the highest point could reach W.T.
}, and bonding over the top, and could
hour tremble and wait, asking heaven to
tect me.
hight, "ln less than minute l distl