Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-08-27
atu1luruus department.
cv w,deper and the Panther.

The other day we SAW Jul oio
friend Cy Widener on the streets, and
it brought to our memory the time that
Cy broke the record of the worlds fast
est runner for short distances. When
Cy was married he moved with his
wife to a little mountain home up In
the Blue Ridge mountains of North
Carolina. In those days-20 years ago
those mountains were full of panth-
ers. wildcats and other ferocious beasts.
times one could hear them prowl-
ing around the house, and especially
so in winter when hunger had driven
them from their mountain dens. Cy's
wife having been born and raised in
these mountains, thought little of it,
but every time Cy heard them it gave
him the creeps. One night or evening,
Cy's wife took a notion that she would
go across the mountain a distance Of
perhaps a mile, and see her sister. Of
course, that meant that Cy must go
too Though Cy didn't have any very
strong desire to be tramping around
through that mountain faStneSs after
dark looking after the health of sister,
Mrs. Widener would walk in front.
The trip over the ridge was made with
out trouble, and they arrived at their
destination just as the male portion
were starting 'possum hunting. OF
course, Cy must go, and though Cy
would rather have stayed at home and
protect the women, yet he went.
They had not gone far until pos
sum was treed, and captured. A little
further on they caught another, and by
10 o'clock, they turned their steps
homeward. Cy tried hard to persuade
Mrs. Widener to spend the night at her
sisters, for he little relished the trip
back home, but she with woman's pc
culiarities, insisted that they must go
home. -
One of the 'possums was given to Cy
and to better carry it he split little
hickory stick and inserted the tail of
the 'possum into the split-much
against the wishes of the 'possum-
and swung it across his shoulder, head
downward. Then they began the jour
ney homeward.
They had reached the clearing
around Cy's home before they heard
anything of the panthers or cats, but
then right near Cy there arose shrill.
clear, quavering call. 1t was the
Of nf
squall that fills the air and the hearers
full of quick quivers. This made Cy
quicken his pace. Just as they reached
the low rail fence which surrounded
the little home, the cry arose again
this time right behind Cy. He helped
Mrs. Widener over the fence and was
fixing to follow. He heard the leaves
and twigs cracking in the underground
right near him. Just as he bent him
self to step across the fence the pen
dant 'possum grabbed him by the rear
of his pants with his front feet. Cy was
sure a panther had him, and the squall
t he emitted would have put the
brave red man Of the silent west to
shame or have scared off any collec-
ton Of beasts that ever got together.
Cy dropped his 'possum and bounded
down the mountain, and with every
bound he threw in as sort of speciality
a mammoth shrek such as had not
reverberated through those old hills
since they were created. The 'possum
having caught such a good hold in the
rear of Cy's pants was unable to let go,
and to better secure himself against
danger in his wild ride he stuck his
hind feet in the calf Of Cy's leg. This
only put new energy into the already
superb flight, and Cy would possibly
have continued it into the next state if
he hadn't inadvertently run against a
tree that was unable to get out Of his
way in time. Of course, it knocked
him fiat and well nigh senseless, and
the 'possum fell off on the ground be-
side Cy.
When he saw what it was that had
scared him so he felt so thankful he
liberated the 'possum and it roams
those eternal hills to this day, If some
one else hasn't got it. For after that
Cy wouldn't go outdoors after dark for
any consideration-he always sent one
of the children.-Eph Goodloe in Spar
tanburg Free Lance.