The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1911-06-01

Texas about two years they moved
back to Missouri. On the trip back
Ed Richardson, my uncle, accompan-
led father.
On this trip Richardson and my
father were ahead of the wagons when
they saw bunch of several hundred
Indians across the prairie. Ed Rich
ardson wanted to hide for fear of trouble
with the redskins, but father told him
not to show fear. They sat down on a
rock and all of sudden two Indians
on horseback galloped out of the crowd
and came across the prairie to where
father and Ed Richardson were sitting.
Richardson again showed fear, wanting
to shoot them, but father told him such
a thing would not do as it you'd make
trouble with them when evidently their
intentions were peaceable.
The redskins rode up and began
jabbering. Ed was able to talk some
Spanish and made out that they want
ed tobacco. Father told Ed to give
them some but not all they had for he
knew the nature of the Indian, but Ed
gave them all of it, thinking the In
dians would take what they needed
and return the remainder. But they
just cut the plug in two, dividing it
between them and bid Ed Goodbye
john That left father and Ed with
out any tobacco.
Father and Ed Richardson were
cronies on the hunting grounds of the
west. On one of their hunting trips
with another man along, their dogs
treed panther. Ed was the first to
shoot, wanting the pleasure of killing
the animal. The panther fell from his
perch and lodged in the forks of the
cedar tree, apparently dead. Ed said
he would climb up and pull him out
Up he went but just as he got hold of
the panther's tail to pull him loose
from the limb. the animal raised its
head and looked around at Ed, growl-
ing sullenly. Ed turned all holds
loose and tumbled from the tree. The
limbs of the cedar projecting to the
ground like haystack kept him from
being hurt. Father promptly shot the
panther again, breaking its neck, but
after the animal struck the ground it
caught dog in its mouth and lever
had to be used to pry the mouth open
and release the dog.
Father had an adventure with a
large snake while in Texas. He camp
ed one night in some timber and
awoke as the snake was creeping on
him. He drove it away and moved
his bed, but the snake again appeared.
A third change did not throw the snake
off the trail and after shooting at it
three or four times in vain, father left
the timber.
At another time father had an en-
counter with a mountain lion or cougar |
His gun was wet at the time and would
not fire. The animal had him in a
corner and it looked bad for his chance
But luck saved him. BY igniting |
powder in the firing pan he made a
succession of flashes. The animal ap-
parently feared these flashes and dis
liked the smell of the burning powder,
for it passed on, leaving father to make
his escape.
On another trip to Texas father saw
the buffalo emigrating for thirteen days
They passed by hundreds beating out
the grass where they passed, making
smooth, hard packed dirt road that ex-
tended for miles through the prairies
and woods. This was near the Red
river.
In 1875 father moved to southwest |
Missouri, in the Ozark mountains, IS
miles south of Springfield. He is the
father of thirteen children, most of
whom live in this part of the state.''
My father is still living about ten
miles above Ozark at Kenton, Mo-, and
is enjoying tolerable good health. He
owns 40 acres of land about 20 miles
west of Forsyth. N. B. ABNEY,