The Russellville Democrat., 1888-06-21

| Down on the blackWater, m oOutn- eastern Saline, about the year 1880, a 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 a neighbor's nearly two miles distant. l The road was mere pathway through l the thick woods, but the children knew it very we'll Hand in hand they toddled along, unheeding because un- l conscious of perIl. But half a mile from home, on tho upper arc of a large leaning tree, which bent directly over the path, they saw large panther stretched out at full length. basking in the morning suul They did not know rightly what it was.
 "Oh, Susic." said Jennie, there s a wolfr'
 Yes" said Susie, "and I spect it s | the bad old follow that catched my lamb and kills papa's pigs. Let us go right back home and tell papa, and he will come and shoot it wiv his gun.
 But what if it runs away while we're goneP" returned Jennie. Tell you what we'll do, Susie: You stay here and watch it, and I'll run and tell papa! l 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 up some acorn cups and n quantity of velvet moss. she set about constructing a play house" at the foot of the very treo on which crouched the panther. watching her curiously. Presently he arose and walked back and fourth, back and forth, along the | level extent of the tree, as if impa- tient and meaning to descend. But Susie shook ner little fist at him menacingly and soon he lay down again with his head between his paws, lazily blinking his great yellow eyes.
 "as if, Susie said, '.he 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 big wolf , on a tree, and that Susie had 'staid to -mind it." Mrs. Miller at once com | prehended the narrowing truth. and called frantically to her bus band. who was at work in hIs clearing near by. | Mir. Miller came at once, accompanied by a young man in his employ named l George Plunkett. Realizing the im- minent peril of his child, and dread- ing that perhaps already horrible fate had befallen it. the pioneer did not speak word, but in a few seconds he and young P lunkett. 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; cer- tainly can not describe them. Faint hopes and sickening fears alternated in his breast IS he sped fl leetly on. It was hardly possible that the child was yet alive. but as the panther had not sprung at first there was bare | chance. Meanwhile, in the little cabin home. the agonized mother had caught her remaining 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 unharmed. 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. | q bullet fairly in it's brain. and little Susie sprang up and exclaimed: 70, | papa! How you scared mer' This panther measured five feet ten inches. Miller tanned it's skin. and when his daughters had grown to maidenhood each of them had cape | made from it. For some reason the Miller family did not long remain in | Missouri after this incident. They went back 10 Illinois, but in ten years or more they returned to the Black water country, where Miller still owned his farm. Miss Susie and Miss Jennie often wore their panther-skin capes, and were very proud of them. In 1849 the gold fever carried off MT. Miller; he went to California and died there many years ago.
 Some of the pioneers termed the partners 'tigers." or "tiger-cats.n v On branch of Salt river. in Shelby County. old John Winnegan, famous hunter. killed three partners. or 'tigers," in one winter. and the stream has ever since borne the name of Tiger Fork. In this lacality. pam thers were. as may be supposed. very plentiful. but they were shy and even cowardly. There were plenty of bears, too. and the old settlers tell of fierce fight between bear and panther which came off on Tiger Fork many years ago. but the tale is somewhat musty and the details rather apocry- phal. l.--B,srr Jogee, tn s. Louis Globe Democrat