Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-05-05


had our supper. 1t was dry nook in
the pines-"tight as house." Uncle Eb
said-and carpeted with the fragrant
needles. When we lay on our backs
In the freight remember the weary,
droning voice Of Uncle Eb had an i'm
pressive accompaniment Of whispers
While he told stories had glowing
cinder on the end Of stick and was
weaving fiery skeins in the gloom.
He had been telling me Of panther
he had met in the woods one day and
how the creature ran away at the sight
Of him.
why's a panther 'fraid O. folksT 1
inquired.
"Waal, ye see, they used t. be friend
~, years an years ago-folks an pan
thers-but they want eggszac'ly cal'lat-
ed t. git along t'gether some way. An
OF she panther gin 'em one Nv her cubs
q great while ago jes' t make frien's.
The cub he grew big an used t play an
be very gentle. They wuz boy he
TUX to, an both on em got very friend
ly. The boy an the panther went off
one day N the woods-guess twas
more'n hundred year ago-an' was
lost. Walked all over an fin'ly got t.
goin' round an round n big circle till
they was both on 'em tired out Come
night they lay down es hungry es tew
bears. The boy he was kind O. 'fraid
o. the dark, so he got up clus t. the
ipanther an lay tween his paws. The
boy he thought the panther smelt funny,
an the panther he didn't jes' like the
smell O. the boy An the boy he he'd
the leg ache an kicked the panther n the
belly, so It he kim o. gagged an spit an
they want neither on 'em reel COM
ftable. The sof' paws O. the panther
was jes' like pincushions. He'd great
hooks in 'em sharpern the pint Nv
a needle An when he was goin' t.
sleep he'd run 'em out jes' like an OIL
cat-kind O. playful-an' pur an pull.
"All t once the boy felt sumthin'
like lot O. needles prickln' his back;
made him jump an boiler like Sam
Hill. The panther he spit sassy an
!; riz up an smelt O. the ground. Didn't
neither on 'em know what was the mat
ter. Bime by they lay down ag'in.
'Twan't only little while fore the
: boy felt sumthin' prickin' Nv him. He
} holIered an kicked ag'tn. The panther
} he growled an spit an clumb tree an
sot on a limb an peeked over at tibet
queer little crltter. Couldn't neither
on 'em understan' it. The boy c'u'f
: lsee the eyes o. the panther in the dark
{ shone like tew live Goals eggszac'ly
rN,,a ,o,,%Ior,.7 oof IN, a trao yyhar
9 he was hungry an see boy below
him. Sumthin' toll him t jump. Tai
: went swish In the leaves like thet. Hi
1 whiskers quivered; his tongue COM
a out. Cu'd think O. nuthin' but his BIZ
r empty belly. The boy was scairt. H
up with his gun quick es flash, aimee
. at his eyes an let FER flicker Blew
lot O. smoke an bird shot an pape
}. waddin' right up int his face. Th
panther he lost his whiskers an on
9 eye an got his hide full O shot al
fell off the tree like ripe apple al
run fer his life. Thought he'd neye
q see nuthin' c'u'd growl an spit s. pow
u erful es tibet boy. Never c'ud bear tn
q sight Nv man after tibet. Allwu
!. made him gag an spit t think o til
u man critter. Went off tew his ow
y folks an tol' O. the boy at spit fire al
- ears of. An now whenever they he,
"a gun 90 of they allwus think it's II
"a man critter growlin'. An they gag a
i. spit an look es If it made 'em sick
~ the stomach. An the man folks the
a. didn't hev no good 'pinion o. the pal
"a theirs after tibet. Hain't never bee
af frien's any more. Fact is man /
n can be any kind Nv beast, but pal
ther he can't be nuthin' but jest
O. panther"
ID Then, too, as we lay there in tt
N freight Uncle Eb told the remarkab
NJ story Of the gingerbread bear. He to-
- 1t slowly, as If his invention We're s
n verely taxed. And here is the story:
4. "Once they wuz boy got lost. W.
~ lgoin cross lots t play with mother be
n an he'd t. go through strip O. wood
= Went Off the trail t. chase butterf
10 an got lost. He'd his kite an eros
4 gun, an he wandered all over It'll /
"a was tired an hungry. Then he la
a. down t. cry on a bed o moss. Purt
:. fQuick they was big black bear con
~ Ialong.
=. "'Nhat's the matterT said the bear
.. "Hungry, says the boy.
10 "'Tell We what I'll dew, says Il
at bear. If yell scratch my back f
me I'll let We cut piece O my tail c
- eat
- "Bear's tail, ye know, hes lot
:" meat on it-hearn tell it was gram got
=. fare. So the boy he scratched II
~ bears back. an the bear he CRIME
- an made his paw go patitty pat on Il
= ground-it did feel SO splendid. Tht
- the boy TUX his jackknife an begun
- mt OF the bears tail. The bear
few mad an growled an growled
:. the boy he stopped an didn't dast C
=. no more.
- "'Hurts awful, says the bea
Couldn't never stan it. Tell We VIII
o. I'll dew. Ye scratched my back, a
now I'll scratch your'n.'"
Gee whiz." said l.
Eyes, sir, that's what the bear sale
~ Uncle Eb went on. ''rhe boy he UP 9
run like mailer. The bear he laua
~ ed hearty an scratched the ground Ii
us W% x N ID