The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-09-18
TALES OF ADVENTURE,
Uncle Ben in the Jungles of the
Okeefenokee.

about the great Okefeenokee swamp. He set
tied in that region among the Indians back in
the thirties. He was one of Gen. Floyd's trusty
scouts, although quite boy then, and was in
the decisive battle on Billy's island, which
forced Chief Billy Bowlegs to en-
igrate precipitately to Big Cypress,
near the Everglades. Uncle Ben liked that
kind of warfare, but when summoned to the
front in 81 he soon became disguised at the
more civilized method of human butchery, and
he shrank from it and sought the more con-
genial jungles of the Okefeenokee. There he
became the leader of squad of de-
serters and was for three years monarch of the
several islands which lay deep in that dark and
dismal swamp. He and his party Jared well
on venison, wild turkey, fish, honey, etc.,
which abounded Whereabouts.
Uncle Ben was not land owner, but squar-
ter. Much of the land about the swamp
especially ON the islands, has never been sur
veyed and granted or sold hence, perhaps he
was not SO much to blame for being a
squarter. At one time he lived in the
"Pumpkin Patch" a small hammock near the
eource of the Suwanee. In fact it was part
of the Pocket" a peninsula running into the
swamp. 1t is said it got its name from the
TACT that Billy Bowlegs grew pumpkins in this
hammock and that General Floyd found them
there when he drove the redskins deeper i'll
the swamp.
Uncle Ben affirms that the pumpkins were
SO large the Indians hid behind them to escape
She eyes and bullets of the soldiers. Possibly
everything looked large to Uncle Ben about
that time.
While living in this hammock he had only
q few acres in cultivation, a few cattle and
goodly number OF hogs. Of course he had nu-
merous dogs which he priced highly, and which
We're very useful to him at times.
One day while out near his cabin, unarmed
and unsuspecting, looking after some pigs, his
dogs got on hot trail, and, curious to see what
they were after, he followed them with en-
couraging shouts. They led for the swamp a
mile away, and without hesitating Uncle Ben
followed to the very edge. There was wild
confusion in that jungle for little while.
Five dogs, with ''open mouth" and good
voices, started the water turkey from her
perch, and sent the "poor jobs'' Hopping for
other scenes of solitude and tadpoles. AS the
pack dashed around in mud and brush, max
ing several circuits and tacks about Uncle
Ben sat on log and ground his "yaller navy"
the harder as his interest in the chase deep
ened. He did not have long to wait Down
the swamp little way, just round a "head"
(poinD about one hundred yards in, they
"treed." From the deeper baying, caused by
the dogs elevating their noses as they scented
up tree, Uncle Ben understood it. The
hunter does not like to leave his
%
and thinking fat 'possum or nice young
coon could be had for the climbing, he de-
termined without much debate to go to his
dogs. He penetrated the jungle and found
the dogs circling angrily but cautiously group
of small trees, the tops of which made dense
mass of limbs and green leaves about twenty
feet above the ground. AS soon as he saw old
Ring. very large and muscular dog, being
half bull, he knew from his actions, from the
ruffied state of the hair down his spinal re-
glon, that there was something unusual up.
The dog looked at his master warningly and
then turned his blunt nose and fierce eye,
with succession of savage barks, toward the
suspicious looking cluster of limbs and leaves
above. Uncle Ben's eagle eye quickly followed
old Rings, and he distinctly saw
which seemed to be disturbed as by the tail of
great cat as it oscillates, while the beast is
crouched preparatory to Springing upon unSuS-
ipecting prey. Uncle Ben was quick to take in
his perilous situation. and being, as was said,
unarmed, he did not pause to debate with him.
self and was turning to beat hasty retreat
when "tiger," as he called it, sprang out of
the tree tops with great force and fury at him,
but he was just little too far off and the
panther struck the ground right at old Ring
and they grappled. The other four dogs were
no towards, and seeing that their leader was
into it they sprang to the rescue. Uncle Ben
knew that if he ran the panther would
soon oyertake and destroy him after she fought
the dogs off, and having great confidence in
the pluck of those devoted animals, he thought
they would naturally fight tho more desper-
ately when he was in with them, and that it
was the better plan for them Che and the Dogs
to make a common fight of it on the spot. He
would take a great risk himself to save his dogs.
So, instead of wildly fleeing away, as the
writer and reader, too, would have done, Uncle
Ben drew his pocket knife, and shouting to
the dogs, advanced on the enemy. Ring, as
was said above, was a powerful dog, and al
though he had tasted his own blood on many
hard fought battle field he had never been
whipped, and therefore he faced the music
with grim and logged determination. The
panther fought him off from her throat until
the other dogs began to get in their work on
Their and dogs, in confused and uncertain
the rear, but when her attention became some
what divided, Ring succeeded in fastening his
immense teeth in the brute's throat. To use
Uncle Bens own words, che locked his Jaws
and threw the key away" Uncle Ben kept
shouting TO the dogs and inching up with due
caution. looking for chance to get in blow.
With Rings death-like grip on a vital part,
and with the weight of the other dogs on her
neither parts, the great cat could not handle
herself to the best advantage, but she was
far from being whipped or dead The nam
mass rolled over and over and beat the bushes
in terrible struggle. She would throw her
self on her back and endeayor to bring her
great hind claws to her throat to tear Ring
away, but the resistance Of the weight of the
OGneE uOgS WOulu, III part, uGlCaL Der e1iOrtS
but she would succeed in clawing the sides of
the dog, and at every pass would bring hide
and blood. Uncle Ben noticed that when the
brute would make this effort her tail would
flash full length out from her at an elevation
of four or five feet, and fearing that Ring
would soon perish, or fall powerless at the
next thrust, he decided that if he was to take
an active hand in the fight the time
had come for bold and resoute ac-
tion for If Ring fell the game was up
with them all. Putting his knife in his teeth,
80 that he could use both hands and in an in
slant seize the open knife il necessary, he adj
vanced nearer, and, picking his opportunity
seized the brute's tail at the moment she
made another thrust with her hind claws to
clear her throat Uncle Ben threw all his
might and power and thus with the aid of the
four dogs he would pull back the hind parts
of the animal and prevent further damage to
old Ring from that quarter. Each effort of
the brute in this direction was met with
counter effort, and the sce-saw process was
kept up some time. The dogs took fresh
courage when they saw their masters hand
was in the fight and the tiger" doubled, if
possible. her efforts. 1t was desperate strug-
gle for life, Ring at the throat inhexible.
fnsenSible to pain, or what not,
Uncle Ben, who was a powerful mau, swinging
like grim death to the tail hold" and the four
dogs getting in their work as best they could
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