The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-01-22

In the neighborhood-a dog that Womb
try to drag a man off his horse But
this time that dog didn't even growl
ne was covering against the wall
shlvering and whining like a fright
ened puppy.
AS l cleared the fence I saw LIGHT
shining through the cracks. / made
a straight dash for the Cupboard door
And when the latch broke and the door
flew in, went through like rock out
of sling.
Inside l STUDDED my toe and tumbled
sprawling on the floor. The middliTig
flew over my head. Uncle Jimmy af-
terward told everybody that that whole
side of bacon hit the farther wall so
hard that it left a greasy picture of
itself on the logs. Uncle Jimmy was a
great joker.
The old man and his wife were
frightened out of their wits. They had
heard the screams, and thought for a
few moments that the tiger had broken
in on them. They We're just getting
ready for him. Uncle Jimmy was load
ing his rife as fast as he could, and
Aunt Polly. his wife, was trying to
light a pine knot at the fire.
While 1 was scrambling to my feet,
Uncle Jimmy sprang forward slammed
the door shut and propped it with a
stick OF wood, but not before that dog
of his had sneaked in and crawled
uq9der th e.. begd: .>--..
Scarcely was the door shut when
| the tiger let out another scream, close
by. Uncle Jimmy was running about
the room, dragging his rifle by the
muzzle. He had bullet rammed down.
and was searching every shelf in the
cabin for q box Of caps. Pretty soop
the panther screamed again, behind
the cabin now. .Afte:ward we heard
another scream, farther off.
By this time Uncle Jimmy had found
his caps. and Aunt Polly had her pine
knot blazing. When they were both
ready Uncle Jimmy threw open the
door, and after looking about cautious
ly cooked his rifle and stepped out. l
offered to carry the torch, but wasn't
very sorry when Aunt Polly insisted
that she knew better how to hold it.
Uncle Jimmy tramped about the
yard, with his wife at his heels, hold
ing the pine knot about her head. II
the tiger was near the torch would
make his eyes shine, and Uncle jim
my would put a bullet right between
them. He was q dead shot
l stood in the door rubbing my back.
The man with his gun and the woman
with her torch moved slowly round the
cabin. Once Uncle Jimmy thought
he discovered the tigers eyes, but be-
fore be could take aim they disap-
peared. It wasn't long before We
heard scream down in the woods.
The. beast was going away.
/ stayed in the cabin a while; then
Uncle Jimmy took his rife and es-
corted me and my bacon home.
was afraid to go by myself.
That was the first time the swamp
tiger had been seen or heard on Chink-
apin Ridge; but it wasn't the last
time, by any fmans. Even we boys
were afraid to go far to gather nuts,
and the women and children hardly
dared poke their heads out of doors.
The men carried guns, especially at
night. The tiger didn't show himself
in broad daylight, although he was
seen occasionally at dusk.
Meanwhile he was living on the fat
of the land. He Toasted on our hogs
and calves, and he even dragged down.
and killed two full grown cows. He
was giant of his kind, and his size
made him fearless. - .~s-e>4-. .-
We didn't know what became Of
the tiger during the daytime, but we
supposed he must retreat into the
swamp. One day Tim Watson saw
him lying on top Of big log in the
woods, asleep III the sunshine. Tim
lad his rife, but instead of blazing
away, he stole off and went for help.
When he got back with several men
and dogs, they caught a glimpse of the
tiger as he jumped off the log and dis
appeared. The dogs growled and turned
their hair the wrong way; but they
wouldn't follow the trail. Trust a
dog to know what not to attack!
Things went on from bad to worse
along Chinkapin Ridge. Every morn
jig some animal was missing, and the
half-devoured remains We're generally
found. One evening at dusk the tiger
dashed up to Mason's cow pen, grabbed
roofing pig, and carried the squeal-l
ing thing off under its owners eyes.
Three different men tried to kill the
big brute when he came prowling
around their houses at night, but their
shots didn't take effect; and the be-