"'The Chevy Chasers ain't been in bein' as a institootion over long
when chance opens a gate to ser'ous work. The deep snows in the
Eastern mountains it looks like has done drove a panther into our
neighbourhood. You could hear of him on all sides. Folks glimpses him
now an' then. They allows he's about the size of a yearlin' calf; an'
the way he pulls down sech feeble people as sheep or lays desolate some
he'pless henroost don't bother him a bit. This panther spreads a
horror over the county. Dances, pra'er meetin's, an' even poker
parties is broken up, an' the social life of that region begins to bog
down. Even a weddin' suffers; the bridesmaids stayin' away lest this
ferocious monster should show up in the road an' chaw one of 'em while
she's _en route_ for the scene of trouble. That's gospel trooth! the
pore deserted bride has to heel an' handle herse'f an' never a friend
to yoonite her sobs with hers doorin' that weddin' ordeal. The old
ladies present shakes their heads a heap solemn.

"'"It's a worse augoory," says one, "than the hoots of a score of
squinch owls."

"'When this reign of terror is at its height, the local eye is rolled
appealin'ly towards us Chevy Chasers. We rises to the opportoonity.
Day after day we're ridin' the hills an' vales, readin' the milk white
snow for tracks. An' we has success. One mornin' I comes up on two of
the Brackenridge boys an' five more of the Chevy Chasers settin' on
their hosses at the Skinner cross roads. Bob Crittenden's gone to turn
me out, they says. Then they p'ints down to a handful of close-wove
bresh an' stunted timber an' allows that this maraudin' cat-o-mount is
hidin' thar; they sees him go skulkin' in.

"'Gents, I ain't above admittin' that the news puts my heart to a