St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-04-17
A TERRIBLE NIGHT.
How Aunt Patience Killed . Ferocious
Panther.

How Aunt Patience Killed . Ferocious
Reading one day a story called "How
Grandmother killed the Bear" remind
ed me of my grandmother and the sto-
ries she us.i to tell-dear grandma!
with her white hair. her soft dim blue
eyes and her gentle smile!
Years ago, she said Zone cold winter
night when the cold wind whistled
noisily down the chimney. and We
gathered cozily around the fire)-years
ago. before WAS born. Uncle John
and Aunt Patience came from England
to find home in the wilderness here.
They made a clearing. and built u little
log house with only one room, warm
and comfortable in winter, pleasant and
airy in summer. Isay they, for Aunt
Patience helped with her hands as well
as with her heart. In those days the
chimney was nearly half the size of the
house. and in the cold weather, when
the stone hearth was piled high with
the big logs cut from the many trees
that grew around their home, and the
flames roared aud cracked up the wide
mouth of the huge chimney. Aunt Pa
tience thought nothing could be more
cheerful and home-like; and in the
summer the cool breeze swept down
from the tree-tops. singing and sigh
ing like voice from home,' she said.
Aunt Patience was very. very lonely
sometimes. when Uncle John would go
to mill, and she could not hear the
strokes of his axe all day long. The
nearest mill wascuany miles away. and
one bright summer morning Uncle John
started with the bags of grain securely
fastened to the back of the old horse,
and with his gun on his shoulder, for
it was not safe to ride through the
woods without it.
Goodbye, little woman" he said;
''don't be lonely or frightened. When
it begins to be dark, fasten the door
and window, and I'll be home before
morning.
Aunt Patience watched him spring
to his horses back. and ride away in
the sweet dewy June morning. with a
strange. dull sinking at her heart, then
went about her daily tasks, making the
house bright. and clean, and when
night came she MIXED their cow
Daisy, and locked her up in the little
lean-to back of the house, for fear of
the Indians. some of whom were impu-
dent and thievish. Still. Aunt Patience
had no great fear of them, and when
all was done and the gloomy night set
LII II, ii e.
took her work. sat down by the one
light, and tried to wait quietly for the
welcome sound of the old horses
footsteps coming through the wood.
Nine! ten. said the little clock they
had brought from their home over the
sea. No sound outside but the whip
poor-wilfs plainlive call and the sigh
ing of the night wind.
No sound? Hark! Was that foot
step, soft and stealthy? Indians,
thought the poor woman, listening,
expecting to hear harsh whisper at
the key-hole: white sguaw no there?"
Again, round and round the house, two
of them, she thought. 1t seemed like
tuo pair ofcreeping feet. then scratch
ing sound, and low deep growl from
over her head. Looking suddenly up
the wide chimney. she saw the 1.-THE
waving body and fiery eyes of a huge
panther crouching just ready to spring
down.
What could she do? Open the door
and dash away to the woods? Certain
death! for then she would be an easy
prey to the panther. Another deep
growl. louder and more angry. Then,
remembering the fear such creatures
have of fire. quick as thought she
snatched the straw bed from the bed
stead in the corner. tore open the COW
er and empued all the straw upon the
few embers that still remained on the
hearth.
In moment there was a blaze. a
fierce heat. and with the blaze and heat
pouring into his face. the panther gave
loud cries of rage and SUNK off into the
wood.
But Aunt Patience knew too well it
was only for a short time. Soon the
fire would burn itself all out, and back
he would come. Oh for the sound of
the trot, trot, trot through the clear
ing. Alas. no horse, no Uncle john
Again the stealthy footsteps around the
house. stealing softly. and her heart
grew faint with fear.
All. the old musket over the door,
kept to frighten crows from the corn
field and hawks from the chickens.
Quickly it was taken down, as quickly
loaded: then scratch! scratch! more
cautiously than before. and once more
Aunt Patience heard the blood-chilling
growl, the fiery eyes looked down, and
the huge yellow body swayed to and
fro in the dim light. She knelt down.