The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-25

ON tho homestretch IN o race an was poon1
TO win, cause nanny. n she used TO say
p'tended that she wanted him 70 60 SLOW.
There was panthers In the woods, DAM,
in them days, as you we'll know, says Uncle
Jase, but there hadn't ben none herd on
nor seen around In that deestric' fer some
time. my pap bein' q partic'lar onfsilin'
shot at panthers-
well, Danl, me an nanny an old
Tinderbox had travelled / guess somethin'
like three miled, when nanny heereo q
hair raisin' screech behind US. She knoweo
what it was that was film them woods
with that tremendous yellin'. an lookn
back she see him comm a-bouncin' outen
the woods into the road. not more than
ten rod in the rear, an a big an ugly feller
he was, too.
AN he was hungrier than a hull PACK
o. wolves, she knowed, by the way he Kim
tearin' after us. Nanny wa'n't skeert
q bit, though. cause the way the old boss
was skippin' along there want no panther
that ever scratched his toenails In the
gravel could git within any kind o dis
lance o. him.
The panther would gain a little by
spurtin' now an then, but he souldnt Keep
the pace with old Tinderbox. an II mammy
hadn't lost her head fer a second i wouldn't
"a had this here to tell you, Danl, as to how
I saved her.
In one o. his spurts the panther hauled
up toler'ble close in our rear, an thai give
nanny a little skeer, an she forgot her
self 50 fur as to give the old hoss . slap
with the lines Is a hint that he was expected
20 stir bis stumps q leetle more.
That was q mistake, o. course. Ter
Tinderbox knowed to wunst that he was
wanted 20 hurry, an he stopped IN the
oad rs If he had ben shot. An there he
stood, Dan'L. with the yelin' panther sweep
in down onto US like a ragin' hurricane.
-UucIe Jase stopped about as sudden
as old Undertook had, an sort o. ratified his
lumber ag'in his cheer, an swallered a.
IL his throat was tired. There want no
kind o. doubt bat what that t'other spot
was gittin' amazin' bad, an wanted tetchIn'
the wuse way. but l vas thinkin'.
That was a ticklish sitiwation TO be in,
Uncle Jase,' says !; N Uncle Jase he swal-
Tered hard ag'n, an said yes, it was; but
be acted to me as if he felt he vas in a con-
sarned sight tickhsher n right then.
YES. Dan'l.' say he. it was. The pan
Their kim tearin' on like a ragin' hurricane
says he. an nanny made up her mind
it was all up with me an her. The pan
Their got within three jumps O. us an man.
my couIdn't think o. nothin' else 10 do but
Jest shet her eyes an squeeze me up ag'in
her. Whether she squoze me a little too
tight I amt able to say. but somehow it
must "a struck me that things wa'n't movin'
along in the right groove an 1 give q kick
an a squirm. an then let them amaxin'
lungs o mine loose.
'Da1'l.' says Uncle Jase. nanny used
10 say that when that ~unbounded POOP o.
mine broke out in them dark an doleful
woods that panther Couldn't "a stopped
any quicker If h had run head on ag'in a
ton o rock. His eyes popped way out onto
his cheeks, he was so took back.
Then | lifted up my voice in the wilder
ness ag IN The panther didn't wait to hear
no more. He turned so quick that he fell
over backward, an getherin' himself up be
bounced into the woods a good deal faster
than he had bounced out, an he never a
wunst looked back, as fur as nanny could
see him cuttin' il away bet wixt the trees.
That seemed TO be all that I had riz
up an howled fer 70 do says Uncle Jase,
an I quieced down right away, an by an
by old Tfnderbox got il into his head that we
"ahIed hun 10 StaLp1 tuSEe IN the roau tine
rest o the day, an so away he started on
the double quick, an never stopped TIL he
got 10 mammy's Solks's; an il l didn't git a
shown of, then no three-months-old
young IN that had saved his NANNY from
bein' eat by a panther never did, Dan1"
says Uncle Jase. an il sort o. eases up my
Disappointment about the preachin' to tell
you about it, says he.
But I wa thinkin', an t'other spot didn't
git fetched. Not a bit.
Uncle ase had said that o. course I reco-
membered their old boss Undertook, an
Uncle Jase il three year older than | be. an
Undertook was on his last legs when Uncle
Jase WAS three months old. That was some
hin 1 couldn't help but think about, an
Uncle Jase'st'other spot didn't git fetched
aid the man from the Knob country