The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-01-07

better stay over night, but we was SO anxious to
see mother and get home, it seemed we couldn't
stay over Sunday nohow. So we took some APP
pies in a basket and started Just little while
before shutdown.
"The road went along the mountain, with the
steep bank like wall on one hand, goin down
Just as steep to the bed of the river on the other
and it was woods nearly all the way. We was so
glad at the thought of gettin' home and seem
mother y ten o'clock that we was just as full as
we cot!lG be. We sang, and ran, and whooped,
and iolzed about wolves and bears, and those first
two mics didn't take very long to get over. But
then it was fairly dusk, and the woods darker
than pocket-so Clark you couldn't make out
anyth: -g-and we were glad to hear something
come long pit-pat, and find the old dog from the
farm Lad come az Us. We could just see his
form and each otheT-spOts darker than the dark.
We couldn't lose the road, for it was the only
one, and cut Eg the thick trees and all we
had TO do was to .cllow orr noses over the noun
tain straight home BY way of keepin' our
spin IS up we BE-. an to train.
We Knocked every creature we knew. We
hooted like owls, and schreeched like cats, n
howled like wolves and sang and hollered at the
top of our voices, and We want weak lunged,
either And that sober old dog trotted long side
OF us, never changin' his gait Or gettin' ahead,
but alters keepin' up with us. I was awful glad
OF his comm for l didn't like the idee Of walkin
six miles through the woods black as darkness t
had never been SKINNED. The walk was nothin
for we could 90 six miles any time after buckle
berries but didn't know what we might meet
before we got through.
1--WE called to the dog and tried to stir him up,
but he kept the same trot Just behind US, and
wouldn't take any notice Of our frolics. We called
him, Hy, Rover! good Rove. good old fellow
but he wasn't to he turned from his stiddy path.
Billy began to say he didn't believe the dog knew
his own name, or he'd got changed il the dark,
and by that time we began to feel little creepy
and exert ourselves to keep our spirits up. We
sang and hollered, and we set on the dog
and called him all the names we could lay our
tongues to. Old Jack-of-the-woods, old Tread
old Blackin' Seem s if | never
heerd a regiment cd make quite SO much noise
s we children did out on the mountain that
night
There was one clearin less'n three miles from
our house. and we felt most home when we came
in range O that. It was lonesome cabin standin'
by itselfin the middle of a field. We were gettin'
skeery by this time, n We greed not to 90 any
further, but stop over night with the folks, whom
we knew, and 90 home next mornin' before
breakfast We didn't like the dee of facin the
dark any further through the woods. As we
started for shelter, our courage began to run out
at elbows when we heerd voice-somethin' t
we knew-and we piled over the rail fence and
put for the house, where light was burnin, as
tight as we could peIt.
And what do you think we heard from our
mild companion I've been teIlin' YOU bout?
That beast t had been with Us, it give lump
and lit on the top rail light as cat, and gave
one long, awful schreech that Just lifted u.s.
Twant no dog in this world, but painter, t had
been trottn with US all that evenin' when it was
so dark we couldn't make him out. How we
stumbled along over the rough ploughed ground
| can't tell We. Seemed as if we never could get
to the house, and our hearts burstin' our breasts
and threats chokin', we was so scared. Seemed
we were gettin over that field. The woman in
the house was alone that night, sittin up ironin,
and she heerd the panthers scream, and she was
scairt to death, and Just had time to drag her
tool-chist against the door, when we
ran up too out of breath to call, and lust came
bounce against it. She thought it was the
panther, and was nearly dead with fright. We
screamed out to her to let Us in and she pulled
the door open Just wide enough to let us tumble
in, the last one beg9in' ard erwin for fear the
panther would claw him before he could get in.
and the chist was legged back and the door fast
before we had sense to know we were safe
"There was blight fire on the hearth, and it
shone out OF the windows, and we knew the
panther wouldn't likely to come very close,
creturs are sc raid Of fire. The woman, alone
with her baby ard children asleep. was dredfal
glad to have Us with her that night. We put all
the loose DO ads in the lott-chamber up to the
Tor fear that thing might try to get in,
and we satu, hearin it screech round the house
fit to tear itself in pieces it was SO mad to think
we'd got aw V. The fire burned down and there
was no NOR, wood in the house, and we didn't
dare to stir out for stick, for all the pile of
brush lay close to the door. But by and by the
screams died away, and after watchin' an hour
more We were glad to 60 to bed. Next mornin'
we found the earth all clawed up round that
back doorstep, and the bark scratched off the
logs round the window where we'd fastened the
cellar door UP fer a shutter, right at the foot of
the bed. It must have come smelin' round after
We thought it had gone Off, and done that mis-
chief
"We never could tell why it hadn't attacked Us
in the road unless it was actually scarced of u.s.
we showed so little fear and kept up such
raclef Thev cav nanfherS like SinOip; apd