The Turnbo Manuscripts
by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925
Turnbo Home | Table of Contents | Keyword Search| Bibliography | Biography
A PANTHER ATTEMPTS TO SNATCH AN INFANT FROM ITS MOTHER’S
ARMS
By S. C. Turnbo
Another early settler on Little North Fork in Ozark County, Mo., was
Ben Fulkerson, whose wife was an Indian woman named Nancy. He settled on
the west side of the creek near three quarters of a mile above where Paton
Keesee lived. The creek bottom on which he lived is known now as the "Sandfield"
and was first settled by Silas Risley, another old pioneer settler on this
stream. Fulkerson was a hunter and after their first child was born and
after his wife was able to travel Fulkerson permitted her to go with him
on hunting tours and help dress the wild meat and care for the furs and
pelts. The woman carried the infant in a peculiar made sack which she carried
on her back. It seemed somewhat curious to see this Indian wife follow her
white husband through the wild woods and compelled to endure the burden
of carrying the baby all day long. Soon after Fulkerson settled here he
cleared an acre of land and planted it in corn. When the crop was knee high
the creek rose and carried all of the fence away and he was compelled to
guard the corn to keep the stock out until he could rebuild the fence. On
the evening of the same day of the freshet the water subsided until the
creek was just fordable and the man mounted a horse and forded at the shoal
½ mile below his house and went down to chat with Keesee. Ben’s
wife had come with him to the ford of the creek to see that he got across
safe. He told her to remain there until he returned. Ben owned a large fierce
cur dog which he left at the ford with his wife and babe. The man promised
his wife he would hurry back, but he delayed time, until near sunset. He
could hear his wife scream every now and then and Fulkerson said his wife
was lonesome only and paid no attention to her, but when he reached the
ford of the creek on his return he was horrified to learn that a panther
had attacked his wife and baby, but the brave dog had saved them. The panther
when Ben reached the creek was up a tree. The man’s gun was in his
cabin ¼ mile away. Leaving the dog to watch the panther the man took
his wife and child to the house and returned with his gun and shot the beast.
His wife said that while she was sitting on the bank of the creek with the
dog by her side the infant began crying and before she could quiet it, she
was alarmed at seeing a large panther leap toward her and alight in a few
feet of her. She arose to her feet and screamed. The moment the panther
struck the ground the dog dashed at it and the panther darted away. The
dog would have caught it but after fleeing 20 yards the panther sprang up
a large stooping box elder tree. The woman continued to scream for her husband
and the dog was so frustrated that he ran to and forth between the tree
and woman for several minutes then became quiet and lay down near the woman
to watch the panther. The latter began growling fiercely until the infant
began crying again and the panther grew more furious and leaped down and
sprang toward the terribly frightened woman again and came near reaching
the crying child before the fearless dog was able to force it back and drive
it back up the tree.
The dog seemed to take in the perilous position of his mistress and the
helpless babe and seemed determined to protect them with his life and finally
took his station between the box elder the panther was in and where the
woman stood. Every time the infant began crying the panther would leap to
the ground and start toward the woman but the dog would rush at it and the
panther would spring up the tree again. About a year after this incident
Fulkerson and his wife went to Texas and both died in that part of the state
where Palo Pinto County is now.
(The foregoing was furnished me by Elias and Peter Keesee, sons of Paton Keesee.)
Turnbo Home | Table of Contents | Keyword Search| Bibliography | Biography
