Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-05-18
A STORY THAT GREW.

1t was little Iom DOdger, the washer
Woman's boy, who saw it first.
The whole neighborhood had been
disturbed by fearful noises issuing from
Chestnut Woods. The sound was vari-
ously described, but all agreed that it
was very terrible.
Pretty Janet Dale heard it while
standing before the glass putting her
hair in crimping pins one night, and
was so frightened that she crept into
bed and covered her head with the
counter-pane, leaving one side of her
hair undone, and this although the next
day was Sunday and she sat in the
choir; oyou can see what q state of mind
she must have been in.
Mrs. Skinner heard it while standing
/ at her back door feeding the geese, and
dropping her basin, ran back into the
house crying that somebody was being
murdered; but her husband, who heard
the sound, too, declared it was the cry
of a catamount. ''He guessed he
wasn't born up in Vermont State, close
to the Green Mountains, not to know a
catamount when he heard it,
Captain Marsh, on the contrary, was
equally as sure it was the cry of a
panther. ''He had hunted in Canada
when he was boy, and had shot a
panther himself" Most persons were
inclined to side with the valiant Captain,
because a panther is larger than Il cata-
mount, and if you are going to have any
thing marvellous, the more marvellous
the better
Then there was Erastus Cummings,
the Second Adventist, who heard this
CRY. and thought the end of the world
had come.
Yet while so many had heard the
sound, it was little Tom Dodger who had
seen the animal first.
His own account was this:
He WAS passing through Chestnut
Woods taking the short cut home be-
cause it was late-and something whisked
by him; he couldn't exactly see what,
but its eye-bails glared like fire.
Tom S account was not definite, and
was apt to take any size or shape ac-
cording to the questions put to him.
In this respect it was like the India
rubber figure in the pantomime, which
no doubt some of you have seen. Now
as tall as a giant, now as short as Tom
Thumb; now as fiat as a founder, now
round as a porpoise. But one thing
Tom stuck to through thick and thin;
namely, the fiery eyes.
And Tom was a hereof course he
was; wherever he went, all the little
boys followed him like the tail of kite.
Tom had seen the animal. Mr.. Grout
had seen it, too, when driving an OK
team through the road bordering the
woods.
The creature must have been much
on the rampage, for he, too, had only
glimpse of it as it darted by, and all he
could say was that it was large and
mouse colored.
if they had not seen the beast itself, had
than any dogs, SO they, too, considered
themselves entitled to some humble
share of Tommy's fame.
matter in hand, and declared that some
thing must be done.
1--WE can't stand it no longer" said
he, addressing a select audience of his
fellow-citizens assembled in the village
bar-room. ''Our women are getting
hearers, Polly-that's my wife-won't
for fear the panther IL jump in.''
''And my wife walked me up the 9TH
er night" said another, "because she
heard a noise in the chimbly, and
thought to be sure twas the panther"
''You see the truth of my statement"
continued the Captain, "and l would
add that our children can't 60 through
Chestnut Woods for fear of their lives.
Now, as said, we can't stand this no
longer, and propose that we go out in
a body and hunt the animal"
To this all assented, and the Captain
was chosen to lead the devoted band, on
account of his military experience;-he
had been Captain of militia company,
and had once covered himself with glory
in sham fight.
He accepted the honor with due mod
esty, and named a time for the expedi-
ton to start. AT the hour appointed,
four O. clock of the next afternoon, a
party of twelve men mounted on their
farm-horses set out for Chestnut Woods,
the Captain wearing his red sash in or
der to give greater dignity to the occa-
sion.
Close at their heels came rabb1e of
small boys led by little Tom Dodger,
who said he .'darst go to the edge of
the woods.''
Arrived at the woods the Captain and
his band dismounted-leav their
horses in charge OF the heroic Tom and
his followers-and plunged boldly into
the thiciet.
The paths they pursued, and the adj
ventures they met with, time would fail
me to describe. Once every gun was