The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-02-04

anu We wa III Wtdh luh Geu SllnCl- Anu
that sober old dog trotted long side of
us, never changin' his gait or gettin'
ahead, but alters keepin' up with is
was awful glad of his comm, for |
didn' like the idee of wallIin' 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 huckleberries. but
didn't know what we might meet before
we got through.
owe 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, Roverl good Rove! good old fell
lowN 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 in 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 k-of-the-woods,' old Tread-or-
his tail, odd Blackin'. Seemss if |
never heerd a regimunt cd make quite
SO much noises 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.
1t was a lonesome cabin standin' by it
self in the middle of :, field. We were
gettin' skeery by this time, m we greed
not to go any further, but stop over night
with the folks whom we knew, and 90
home next mornin' before breakfast
! We didn't like the idee 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 a voice-somethin' t we know
and we piled over the rail fence and put
for the house, where a light was burnin'.,
as tight as we could pelt.
: "And what do you think we heard
from our mild companion I've been
tellin' you bout?
THAT beast t had been with us, il
give Jump and lit on the top rail as
light as a cat, and gave one long, awful
screech that just lifted us. 'Twant no
dog in this world, but painter, t had
been trottin' with us all that evenin'
when it was so dark we couldn't make
him out. How we stumbled along over
the rough plowed ground can tell ye.
Seemed as if we never could get to the
house, and our hearts burstin' our
breasts, and throats chokin', we was so
scared. Seemed 5 if was all ,insides
for that one burnin' mint we were get
tin over that field! The woman in the
house was alone that night, sittin1 up
ironin', and she heerd the panther $
scream, and She was scairt to death,
and just had time to drag her husband S
tool-chist against the door, when we ran
up, too out of breath to call, and just 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
I wide enough to let us tumble in, the
last one beggin' and cryin' for fear the
panther would claw him before he
could get in, and the chist was dragged
back and the door fast before we had
sense to know we were safe.
There was bright fire on the
hearth, and it shone out of the windows,
and we knew the panther wouldn't be
likely to come very close, creturs are SO
'fraid of fire. The woman, alone with
her baby and children asleep, was dret-
full glad to have us with her that night.
We put all the loose boards in the loft
chamber up to the windows, for fear
that thing might try to get in, and we
sat up hearin' it Screech round the
house fit to tear itself in pieces, it was
so mad to think we'd got away. The
hfire burned down and there was no more
! 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 tc
90 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
fastened the cellar door up for shutter
right at the foot of the bed. 1t mus
have come smellin' round after we
thought it had gone off, and done thai
mischief.
ave never could tell why it hadn't
attacked us in the road, unless it was
actually scared of us, we showed olittlC
fear and kept up such a racket. They
say panthers like singin', and that MAY
5 have kept it quiet, or it may have beer
| young one, or not hungry.
, SsNeXt mornin' father and the boy
t drove up bright and early to ask if any
: thing had been seen of us. After my
| brother Billy started the day before
they heard from neighbor out huntn
that big panther had been round tn,
places up the mountain, stealin' shoat'
e out of the pen, and it had carried
g sheep off day before. Mother had beef
5 dreadfully uneasy when we didn't ge
D home at shutdown, and father began t.