The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-06-27
for tbe CHILDREN.
The Children and the Panther.

Down on the Blackwater, in south
eastern Saline, about the year 1880,
settler named Samuel Miller had built
his cabin and was opening small
farm. He had two little daughters.
Jennie and Susie, aged seven and six.
One morning the mother of the little
girls sent them on an errand to neigh
boris, nearly two miles distant. The
road was a mere pathway through the
thick woods, but the children knew it
very well. Hand in hand they toddled
along, unheeding peril because uncon-
scious of it. But half a mile from
home, on the upper arc of large lean
ing tree, which bent directly over the
path, they saw large panther stretched
out at full length, basking in the morn
ing sun. They did not know rightly
what it was.
ooh, Susie' said Jennie, there's
wolf ~
eyes," said Susie, "and l 'spect it's
the bad old fellow that catched my
lamb and kills papa's pigs. Let us 60
right back home and tell papa, and he
will come and shoot it wiz his gun"
"But what if it runs away while we
are gone ?" returned Jenny. "Tell
you what we'll do, Susie; you stay here
and watch it and I'll run and tell papa
/ can run fastest, you know"
Little Susie readily assented to the
arrangement, assuring her sister that
if the :" bad old wolf " should come
down the tree she would "take stick
and punch his eyes out" Then, gath
ering some acorn cups and a quantity
ofvelvety moss, she set about construct
ing "play house" at the foot of the
very tree on which crouched the
panther, watching her curiously. Pres
emily he arose and walked back and
forth, back and forth, along the level
extent of the tree, as if impatient and
meaning to descend. But Susie shook
her little fist at him menacingly, and
soon he lay down again, with his head
between his paws, lazily blinking his
great yellow eyes, L" as it," Susie said =.
she was awful sleepy"
Away ran Jennie, fleet as little
fawn, and in due time she reached
her fathers cabin and hurriedly told
| her mother that there was a "big
wolf " on a tree and that Susie had
stayed to mind it," Mrs. Miller at once
comprehended the narrowing truth, and
called frantically to her husband, who
was at work in his clearing near by.
Mr.. Miller came at once, accompanied
by young man in his employ named
George Plunkett. Realizing the i'm
minent peril of his child, and dreading
that perhaps already a horrible fate
had befallen it, the pioneer did not
speak word, but in few seconds he
and young Plunkett, rifle in hand, were
running swiftly to the scene. Nearing
the locality, Miller said:
" If we are not too late, George, let
me fire first"
Possibly the emotions of the father
at this time may be imagined; certainly
l can not describe them. Faint hopes
and sickening fears alternated in his
breast as he sped feetly on. 1t was
hardly possible that the child was yet
alive, but as the panther had not sprung
at first there was a bare chance. Mean
while in the little cabin home the ago
nized mother had caught her remain
ing little one to her breast and was
praying silently but fervently.
But-O, the Joy of it-on coming
within sight of the fateful tree Miller
saw his child safe and unframed. The
little innocent was busy at her play
grooming sweetly the while. Doubtless
he who stopped the mouths of the lions
had preserved her! High above the
panther was on his perch. In two
seconds Miller's rifle rang out, the
panther came crashing to the ground, 6
bullet fairly in its brain, and little Susie
sprang up and exclaimed, " o, papa
how you scared mel"
This panther measured five feet ten
inches. Miller tanned its skin anC
when his daughters had grown tc
womanhood each of them had cape
made from it.