We lived in the country while I was a youngster up until 13 years of age. We were very poor and had to do everything possible to make a living. This included owning several cows which were milked daily for family use. The land in the country where we lived was owned largely by major timber companies. The land was used to grow trees, so there was very little of the land that was fenced off except the 40 acre plots owned by the settlers in the community for raising farm produce, such as corn, beans, peas, and vegetables, etc. for their families. All the settlers turned their cattle, horses, mules and other animals out of the pens daily to let them roam the open land for grazing.
My job daily, 365 days a year, was to locate the cows on this open range, wherever they may be. There was a river to our east about three or four miles from home, and to the north and west was thicket about 20 miles deep over to the next small town. So the cows could go any direction from home and find grazing. Since I was the oldest child, responsibility was placed on me at a very early age. I was probably about 7 or 8 years old at the time. I had to walk to find the cattle at first. Later dad bought me a horse to use so I could cover more ground. Some days I could not find the cows at all.
On this particular day I looked everywhere for the cows but all in vain. It was getting dark, I was about five miles from home, but decided to go into the river swamp to a cane-break where they sometimes fed. As I rode up to the edge of the swamp it was dark and a large tree was at this entry location. It over hung the old logging road leading into the swamp.
My horse stopped suddenly, snorted very loudly, and refused to go any further. The old timers had told tales similar to this where panthers, living in the swamp, had pounced down on their prey from the tree limbs above. There were panthers in this swamp that had been spotted many times by hunters. (1930-35)
So again I give God the praise for intervening to extend my life.
