The Turnbo Manuscripts
by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925
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A PANTHER FOLLOWS A WAGON LOADED WITH DEAD DEER
By S. C. Turnbo
Mr. Calvin Clark, brother of the noted hunter, Bill Clark, furnished
the author with the following story.
"During the winter of 1842-43 John Teague and Dave McBride while on a camp hunt at the spring where the town of Protem, Mo., now is killed 22 deer in two days. They hired me to haul the dead deer to Big Creek in an ox wagon. It was after nightfall when we left the spring. The weather was cold with blustery west wind blowing. The sky was clear of clouds and the moon which rose an hour after night set in lit up the hills and valleys with a brilliant light. There were no wagon roads from Shoal Creek to Big Creek then, but the woods were open and I had but little trouble in picking my way for the wagon. Soon after the moon had showed itself above the horizon a panther which no doubt had scented the deer followed the wagon. It was a daring fellow and the noise of the wagon jolting over the rough ground did not seem to frighten it. The animal would let us know of its presence by its cries which sounded fearful. We saw it several times and Teague and McBride tried to shoot it, but when they stopped to do so it would run away and when they would start to catch up with the wagon again it would stop and start back toward the wagon again and utter screams in a frightful way. It followed us nearly to Big Creek when it left us and we were glad to get rid of it," said Mr. Clark.
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