The Harrison times., 1901-02-16
Firsside Stories Of Early Days ,
Ia the 0zarks.
Two Children XIII Panther But ThouQht
il Was a Wolf.

time incident was given bv John L.
Ross, of near Gather Post Office,
Boone County. Ark: Many years
ago when our family lived in the
state of Tennessee, a man named
Bob Justus lived neighbor to US.
In 1850 this man moved from Ten
nessee and settled ON Long Greek, in
Carroll county, Ark. He lived on
the west side of the creek at the
mouth of small stream called Dry
Greek But after residing here six
years, removed to Howell County,
Mo-, where his mind became derang-
ed and he was sent to the insane
asylum, at Jefferson City, where he
died in 1853.
Justus was a farmer as well as
an experienced bunter, His
principal hunting ground while liv-
ing on Long Greek. was in the
rough hills of Bear Greek, where
bear, deer and wild turkeys were
abundant, as well as panthers and
wolves
One day in 1851, while hunting on
Bear Greek, he went up a rugged
branch of that stream, called Bar
rem Fork, and discovering 3 or 4
acres of fertile bottom land. he de-
termined to clear it up and put it in
cultivation. What his motive was
in having :, small field so far from
his residence on Long Greek. was
known only to himself When he
cleared the land, it did not require
ferce. for settlers stock had not vet
invaded that section.
Mr.. .Justus cultivated the land two
or three years, but when the crop
matured, deer visited the clearing
and destroyed it every year.
In the late spring of 1852, after
Justus planted the little field in corn
and returned home, he sent two of
his children there to cut out the
bushes with hoes. The children
were boy and girl named Ives and
Mary The boy was IL years old
and the girl was younger. These
children being reared in a wild coun-
try were used 70 wild ways, and
were not afraid to go anywhere
they knew; and had been to Barren
Fork with their ather several times
and MIR. Justus did not feel uneasy
in sending them. They were to fin
ish the job of work by noon the fol-
lowing day and return the same eve
ming. Taking plenty of '.jerked VEN
ioon'' and bread, ord a Ifr1e ana uOgs
for protection against wild beasts,
they set out. 1t was a long walk
but they were accustomed to that
sort of travel and arrived in the
Bear Greek hills alright. Just before
they reached the clearing the dogs
sprang at some wild animal in the
high grass and, after a short chase,
ran 1t into cave Laying down
their hoes and provisions, they went
to see what the dogs were after.
Finding that it had went into the
cave, they sent the dogs in to bring
it out The dogs were ell trained
and needed no second order, and
dashed into the opening. Soon after
the dogs entered the cave, the chill
dren heard them attack something
and hight went on several minutes,
when the dogs came rushing out
The children tried to persuade them
to go in again but they seemed cow
ed and refused to obey. The boy
grew impatient for he wanted to
know what sort of an animal was
IN the cave, and was furious because
the dogs refused to go back, and he
made up his mind to go in the cave
himself and bring the beast out.
Requesting his little sister to stay
with the dogs on the outside, he put
down the rifle and began crawling
into the opening. He had not got
tar on the inside before he heard
some animal approach with loud
coarse growls. He stopped and
with long keen butcher. knife held
IN his right hand, intended to kill it
when he got in reach. but the beast
was too quick for him, for with
sudden bound the great long beast
struck against the boy and knocked
him over before he had time to strike
a blow with the knife. The animal
rushed over the PROSTATE boy and
darted out and the dogs dashed at
1t and hurried it up a tree. which
stood in few yards of the cave.
Fortunately the boy was not serious
ly injured by the encounter ard crawl
ed back out ofthe cave; when he look