“‘Gents,’ says Colonel Sterett, as he ag’in refreshes himse’f, ’it’s needless to go over that hunt in detail.  We hustles the flyin’ demon full eighteen miles, our faithful dogs crowdin’ close an’ breathless at his coward heels.  Still, they don’t catch up with him; he streaks it like some saffron meteor.

“‘Only once does we approach within strikin’ distance; that’s when he crosses at old Stafford’s whiskey still.  As he glides into view, Crittenden shouts: 

“’"Thar he goes!”

“’For myse’f I’m prepared.  I’ve got one of these misguided cap-an’-ball six-shooters that’s built doorin’ the war; an’ I cuts that hardware loose!  This weepon seems a born profligate of lead, for the six chambers goes off together.  Which you should have seen the Chevy Chasers dodge!  An’ well they may; that broadside ain’t in vain!  My aim is so troo that one of the r’armost dogs evolves a howl an’ rolls over; then he sets up gnawin’ an’ lickin’ his off hind laig in frantic alternations.  That hunt is done for him.  We leaves him doctorin’ himse’f an’ picks him up two hours later on our triumphant return.

“‘As I states, we harries that foogitive panther for eighteen miles an’ in our hot ardour founders two hosses.  Fatigue an’ weariness begins to overpower us; also our prey weakens along with the rest.  In the half glimpses we now an’ ag’in gets of him its plain that both pace an’ distance is tellin’ fast.  Still, he presses on; an’ as thar’s no spur like fear, that panther holds his distance.

“’But the end comes.  We’ve done run him into a rough, wild stretch of country where settlements is few an’ cabins roode.  Of a sudden, the panther emerges onto the road an’ goes rackin’ along the trail.  We pushes our spent steeds to the utmost.

“’Thar’s a log house ahead; out in the stump-filled lot in front is a frowsy woman an’ five small children.  The panther leaps the rickety worm-fence an’ heads straight as a bullet for the cl’arin’!  Horrors! the sight freezes our marrows!  Mad an’ savage, he’s doo to bite a hunk outen that devoted household!  Mutooally callin’ to each other, we goads our hosses to the utmost.  We gain on the panther!  He may wound but he won’t have time to slay that fam’ly.

“’Gents, it’s a soopreme moment!  The panther makes for the female squatter an’ her litter, we pantin’ an’ pressin’ clost behind.  The panther is among ’em; the woman an’ the children seems transfixed by the awful spectacle an’ stands rooted with open eyes an’ mouths.  Our emotions shore beggars deescriptions.

“’Now ensooes a scene to smite the hardiest of us with dismay.  No sooner does the panther find himse’f in the midst of that he’pless bevy of little ones, than he stops, turns round abrupt, an’ sets down on his tail; an’ then upliftin’ his muzzle he busts into shrieks an’ yells an’ howls an’ cries, a complete case of dog hysterics!  That’s what he is, a great yeller dog; his reason is now a wrack because we harasses him the eighteen miles.