Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-06-09
A LOVE SICK PANTHER.

A LOVE SICK PANTHER.
 "It's me a sayin' of 1t ez shouldn't, Squire" remarked the Old Settler, but hist'ry's got to be kep' straight, and con sekently I'll hef to own up th't wen were young were a tearer 'mongst the gals It got to be so round the Sugar Swamp deestric' tht if tn was any gals with their hearts cracked wuss'n an old chany teapot the crackin' of 'em, b'gosh. were laid right squar' to me, ev'ry time. Thar were Suse Livingoose. Suse's left eye had way O shyin' round to wind ard, an she were leetle sot in her ways; but one year took to shinnin' with her to all the doin's tn was Bimeby the other gals fell to pinin'. an felt sorry for 'em an made up my mind th't 1 wouldn't be so mean as to let Suse hey me all the time, an c'ncluded to give the rest of 'em show. The day afore Bijah Looms corn huskin' were glidin' by Suse's house an she hailed mo an wanted to know wat time I were comin' fer her to go to the husl1in'. I said want comin' fer her at all, but were goin' to galavant Mag Nc Jaggers. Suse got a little red. an up an says th't she didn't think, b'gosh, tht for mar ez were going to marry her 'twere 'dzactly the caper fer him to be runnin' round the kentry with ev'ry other Tom. Dick an Harry of a gal tn were in the deestric'. The wind offen yeller birds wing could ha' knocked me over, squire, was 50 sot back. 1 says to Suse wasn't that leetle student? an Suse says it mowt be or it mowt'n't. 1 says wen is it 6 comin off an she says th't week i'm Toosdy were handy time, an th't she'd sot it fer that day.
 ''Suse were so durn cool an positive bout it th't ny tongue cluv to the ruff O my mouth. got it down booty soon an says;
 'Suse says I. we'll drop this right here. I'll alluz be brother to ye, an -
 "'Brother be durncdr says Suse. I've got seven brothers already, jist seven more thu want she says. Wt In pinin' fer is foller to cuddle up agin ap' to pay fer my caliker. I've sot my heart onto you.' she says 'an' tn hain't TO moro to say Ye kin galavant Mag Me Jaggers t'mor night, she says, but that the last A week fin Toosd'y you an ne | is onep
 "Suse's squeejeed eyo shifted to the wind ard a leetle move'n ever, but her : 5'Otii-. sI7FrsSssyT HIe5 gosh, ike red hot poker through a shingle. didn't go to the huskin', but pilin straight fer hum shouldered my gun an struck fer the woods. l never stopped til got way beyent Wild Gander ridge. an thar | pitched my tent. so to speak, an 'mongst the bars an the wolves an the partners found peace, till one day tunbled ! twenty feet down ledge. losin' my gun an wrenching my leg so I couldn't stan up drug m'self long the foot O the ledge till kim to an open spot. an thar foun' a couple O good sized caves in the rocks. It were coInin' on night, so pulled inter one of the caves to stay till mornin'. wen thought could drag back to my cabin. don't know how long ! slep, but Ten woke the cave were all of a tremble It didn't take me long to figure out wat made it. Tn were a painter sloepin' long O me in that cave, an Jlst more tn n purrinl
 'Fust along I wished were back to Sugar Swamp. but then 'membered tht that very day were the Toosday week tn Suse had sot. an l shet my eyes an smiled.
 "'Im safer here, b'goshr says L
 But how l did wish fer little Dominic Ripper, O Lost Crow Barrenl The little dominic never weighed more'n ninety pound in his life, and wasn't much taller'n bar cub, an he alluz wore buckskin brooches But leetle as he vera. wasn't he howler at distracted meetin's2 He could pound the power inter six foot four sinner quicker'n I could ram down g rifle ball, an ez lay thar listnin' to the rattlin' purr O that painter, I wished fel the little dominic. not ez l thought he could rescoo me. but cause I kinder wanted to git some p'ints ez to my chances after had slid out i'm this vale O tears
 "Mornin' kun sneakin' inter the cavt an woke the painter up. The paint'e 'el rig, stretched itself half way 'crost thc cave, an then gaped an showed me th, openin' inter wich l thought I'd proberly b, passin' ez soon ez the paint CT were read, for breakfas'. Then the painter tip toeC over to me. It put it's fore paws on n, an looked plumb in my face. Tn wan nothin' ugly looElin' in. it's eyes. but 'stiC O that they was ez soft an laughin' ez gals is wen ye ast her if she'll go to tn candy pull. The painter were big sh one an arter loolzin' at me for minut she walked out. l kinder felt easier
 couldn't git on my feet yit 50 l drug my self outside, The painter sot on tn ground few feet away. She acted shy an ez she'd ketch my eye her'n d drop @ bashful ez you ever sec
 ''Wun. ez begun to feel safe. go hungry. Tn want nothin' in tn paint CTS larder, an thort to m'self tn the painter mowt jist as well ha' chawe me up ez to let me set thar an starve t death. Vile l were raslin' with m stomick, the painter rig up an wen boundin' away to'ard Lost Crow Barren She were gone fer couple hours, an the she kim boundin' back ag'in an fetche 7 with her a nice fat lambl
 "Hain't this painter actin leetl queeT7" says 'Or is this the way the do wen they hev company"
 "l didn't stop to argy, but in less tim thin kin tell it, squire. them woods wa bein' scented with their fust sniff O roas lamb. The painter kep' glancin' at m outen a corner of her eye. She stayed b me all day. an fore night shs'd got ove her bashfulness, an were settin' righ long side O me. lookin' inter my face e gentle ez fawn, an a purrin' like ca on the h'arth, only twenty times louder
 ''To cut this conterbution to nat'ra hist'ry short, squire, afore night the nez day the 'stoundin' truth busted in on ma nn' felt like tearin' my hair an thumpir my head agin the rocks.
 "'Tve escaped i'm Suge an the gals