Smyrna times., 1888-03-14
THE UNWELCOME VISITOR.

IL u Wv W ILOO4nL FlOlIUh,
'Wall, yes; that thar was onct 3
painter, said Old Teb, pointing to a non.
descrlpt looking affair of a muddy hue.
much frayed at the edges, and with the
hair well worn off in spots. 'Don't lool,
much that way, do hit? But YOU see mo
'nd Calline have raised seven children
one after anuther, nd they all wallerod
On tnaC thar hide, lettin' alone of usein'
nIC Ior Oed klVer every winter fur
twenty year come mex JanOwary.n
Old Teb was a grlzzled, wiry hunter of
the Blue Ridge mountains whose Ionr.
rifle and coonskin pouch were bott'7.
known in the wilds of Buncombe conntl,
IN those days than the features of for
more celebrated men. His cabin U-,s y
mere shell of half decayed logs with -
dlfC lloor and its roof held down bv stones
hnu poles. In summer it was airv or ,,.at
III WINTER smoky and cold. Dried venieon
HulS from the grimy joists; lean hounds
sicPU III Uhe ashes of the fireplace. and ON
lhe outer walls the skins of foves co,,,,..
ana groundhOgs were stretched ont n d,.,.
in odOrous profusion. - VI
Ills wife, lank, sallow woman cI,d i,
Il dlrty homespun was "grittin' roas,i,,'
! years on a home made tin rrato,. f,r
their daily supply of grit bread ;, I,.liIa
! several ragged, clay eatingchildren snnat-
Ied about, vacantly silent and oI,sar,,i,,,,
Inc youngest boy sucked its thumb un9n
the panther skin, and Teb himself v,,s
| cutting some creased wads for his lone.
rifle. ms iols
ia nters nowadays is erbout cz skazo
rs mems teeth, y he continued. "but tbot
Ihtr Varmlnt war my fus' one tho I've
| hHockcu over many a one scnce."
20 leD repeated the oft told tale that
hunters delight i'll and without foIIowin,,
I.o pecu.itr ldlom, we will give the sub
stance OF his narrative in our own words
Several years before his morrio,,o ~,
'lab HNed in this same cabin with bis
mother and sister One bitter wfntar's
hiSht he and his sister were left oIn,o
.a'ir mother having gone down to tbe
ne store at Lasher's Gap to do scme
lT"dlhG. she was not expected back no
Ioft morning. Teb was then lad of 16
ana Gag some two years his Junior.
10 had been bad winter There was
TO mast IN the woods and wild ami
malS as well as tame We're famishing
Eear had been seen down in the covrS
and the melancholy howl of the v-oIvo9
had been heard at night far from tbair
usual haunts. 1t was said that a lar,,o
panther had caught yearling close hJ,
''old man Ferry's" cow pen. and man,
were the injunctions laid on Teb and Ma,
10y their mother as to remaining in ofto7
dark.
80 that night they brought in the vol
low cur dog for company, barred Tho
'aor, bult a rousing fire Of oak and Dino
Knots and felt quite cozy, despite the cold
I'aught, pouring in through the half
cIlnked logs, or the sad whistle of tho
night wind down the gorge, where ssYal-
cr creek" mOaned and toiled on its coursa
own TO the river below! But, as the fire
u. y. co. they went to bed to keep warm; and
60 was Just dropping into a doze when
ne heard the house cat meWinp to ha lat
,a' IAen plaintive cry floated down the
hollow; that seemed not unlike that of n
child in distress, winding mn bovyo,,o,
with prolonged snarI. The cat ra'
doubled its entreaties, and scratched
Justify at the door.
Icb rose, shivering with cold and voo,,e
apprehension, and, slipping the wooden
par let the poor creature in The cry
was again raised nearer by, entering the
open door with startling distinctness.
mere was ferocious ring about its con- |
Guiding echo that caused Teb to slam to |
ana rebar the door with precipitate eager
ness.
His prccaution was timely for in
minute stealEly unhuman footsteDs ,vcro
audible without, then came fierce breatb-
ings at the walls and at last beavv
scratching sound while the dog. that had
at first raised his bristles with low rrowIs
now skunk under the bed with an irno-
mnlous whine. 1t realized the danger
That menaced them, and Teb, with rising
fears, thought Of the widest tales of
savage beasts he had ever heard, and
wished vainly for a rifle.
"What is hit, Teb?" whispered MAG.
who had walked up.
Painters-or mehbe bears" 0uotb
Tch, as though the yard was thronred
old rifle"
The animal, after shifting at the door
began slowly circlng round the cabin
The fire had burned low, and Teb. fearful
Of the strength Of the logs, crouched near
the bed, where Mag lay shivering with
The minutes passed. and
rs there came no signs more alarming. he
lozed gently, but was reused by an ex-
2lamaton from his sister, who said
"Oll, Teb Somethin' air a pullin' off
-he kiver"
leD stuck pine splinter in the embers,
md as it blazed up advanced toward the
bed Mag was on the side farthest from
-he wall, and by the flaming light they
saw huge, yellow paw thrust between a
wider chink of the logs, with its claws
buried in the ragged quilt Though
alarmed at an unknown danger, q glimpse
If its exact nature nerved the youth. lie
ooked about hastily for weapon. The
amily spinning wheel still stood where
he mother, only the day before, had
spun the film" " of some jeans she in
ended to weave.
Hardly knowing what he did, Teb
pulled out the long head post with its
transverse spindle attached, and raising
t, brought it down with all his strength.
The sharp, steel point pierced through the
leg and into the log beneath.
With n snarl Of rage and pain it strove to
withdraw its foot, but the upper log.
atching the head post, prevented it.
Teb saw his opportunity, and. Selling n
hammer that lay in n crack, he drove.
With frantic strokes, the spindle deep
own into the log, while at every blow the ,
least without grOwled and whined alter
lately. Mag with clasped hands, shud.
;..tChed her brother, until she
~. the brute could not release itself
- barst into tears, exclaiming: :
.pW Kin we'uns sleep, Teb, md that
r. I'G stckin' throo md hit hilt to tbe /
at2r too" 7
G"' she did sleep nevertheless. notwitb-
i2nding the dOlorous whines and inter. Z
littcnt growls that kept Teb wide awake I
hereafter and keenly alive to the pecnIior !
eril Of their situation. The dog remained
owed and silent. q
Morning at length came and Teb arm !
lg himself with the AK, went out to view !.
Is imprisoned foe He found, as he OK. Il
ected, large panther clinging to the side y
the house, the logs of which were =
CARED by its claws in futile efforts 10 =
elease itself. " u
1t was still furious, though much =
carried, and its eyes were aglare with =
eilowish flame. He dared not approach G
ose enough TO use the ak, so ferocious
as its aspect, and so violent its lunges at
ne sight Of him.
Taking Mag and the dogs they all 81
udged through the snow some two miles a
Old man Terry's cabin He was absent a
~ long mountain rifle hun0 over tbo | II