The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-10-18
UNLUCKY BILL GOGGINS.
How He was Hunted by an Energetic
Panther.

Panther.
The following is true story as mar
rated by Bum Capps, Georgia
cracker:
Thar was nobody a livin' in the
forks o. Peach Tree and Pea Vine them
days but my daddy and Uncle Peter
which Uncle Peter lived cloast to whar
the two cricks jine, and daddy. about a
half mile furder up. Neighbors was
| sea ace, and thar were power of var
mints in the woods.
ANY pant'ersP Yes, big 'un. He
used to come around our house of a
night and have the biggest kind of a
rumpus with our dogs. Many's the
time I've seed the dogs run i'm when
he'd be crossin' from Peach Tree to
Pea Vine and back.
well, thar was man up thar by
the name of Ole Man Goggins. which
he had right smart O. hogs. One day
he heered hog a squealin' down the
swamp, an he tole his two so.s, Bill
an Sam, to 90 an see what was a pes
term of it.
bill and Sam went, they did, an
they hadn't got nowhar afore they seed
that pesky pant'r jes' everlastingly COB
bling up one of the ole mans best kill
in hogs.
Both the boys let in to hollerin' as
loud as they could squall to skeer the
varmint off, an the painter turned
loose the hog, an taken after the boys
es hard es he could tear.
''Hit was lively times jest about then.
No @Iar
boys feet-not es anybody knows on.
But Bill, he stumped's toe, he did, an
sprawled off on the ground, an afore
he could git up, OF even say his prars,
the panther lit onto i'm an commenced
to chaw i'm and scratch i'm dreadful.
"Bill were monstrous skeered, but ne
had sense enough about i'm to make
out like he was dead, an the varmint
kivered him up with leaves an truck
an tuck arter Sam.
''Ole man Goggins heered the boys
when they gin the fust yell, an him
an Jack Peters drapped what they was
doin' an run down toward the
swamp.
''The ole man had is gun-which it
was double bar'l shot-gun-loaded
with squirt shot, an Jack had big
knife.
well. they hadn't gone fur afore
they met Sam jes' gitten' up an dust
in, an the pant'e er after i'm like a
streak O. creased lightnin' through a
pine thicket.
when the painter seed the men a
comm he stopped of a sudden like, an
turned back toward whar Bill was a
lyin' es still eff he was dead sure enough,
which he was bad hurt.
Thar the painter stood, q switchin'
of his tail, an growlin', es much es to
say:
'"This yer's my meat, an I'll tear the
hind sights off'n any man that posters
of it. !"
'Ole man Goggins felt powerful ju-
bous. Thar lay his son nj about dead,
and he was 'bleeged to git him away
from that hungry varmint-least-ways
to try. But hit went mighty 'gainst the
grain to tackle full-grown pant er
witt a thimbleful O. small shot
while the ole man was studyin'
what to do, an doin' nothin', the pam
ter made like he. was a goin' to set
down an make his dinner off'n pore
Bill, 'thout even askin' the blessin'.
1.-The ole man couldn't stand that.
He up with his gun, he did, an blazed
away with both bar'ls.
when the smoke Jared away thar
lay Bill moanin', and the painter was
up gum tree, not more n twenty foot
from whar the ole man Goggins was a
stan'in'. Jack Peters was right behint
the ole man, which he'd been thar all
the time, a lookin' like he wished he
was somewhar else.
Things didn't STAN that way long
er'n it'd take you to say Jack Robinson,
fore the varmint lit out n that tree on
TO ole man Goggins' shoulder like a
thousand O. brick on a rotten pump
kin. Hit knocked the ole man ker-
f1ummux on the groun', an his gun
flew out'n his hands about ten foot.
1.-The painter hilt onto his shoulder
with his teeth like death to dead At
rican, an it did pear like the ole man
was going to be ct up alive.
''But Jack Peters run up, an with
one swipe of his knife he cut the var
mint's throat from year to year.
''Did that kill him? You can jes'
MAKE alldaVy 1t did. But be hilt his
holt on the ole mans shoulder ies' like
he was alive, an an l amt a sittin'
here this minute eff Jack Peters didn't
haf to prize his jaws apart with stick
O. wood fore ever the ole man could
git loose.
''The ole man an boy was both laid
up long time, but they overed it at
last.
That ar boy was the onluckiest
chap ever seed, for arter he got well,
thunder struck him. But he overed it,
an one night he stole a melon, an
whilst he was runnin' off with it, a
moggerson bit him, an he overed that,
too. Then he stole horse, and went
to the penitenchry an sarved out his
time, an when he come back, he killed
a man, an they hung the drafted thing
an got rid of 'im.- Wilton Burton in
Golden DQus.