The Couger and the Hound with Dad and Me and Skippy

I was around eight years old when this adventure happened, and we lived up on the hill at Spicewood Springs. Dad had a few hounds he used for hunting, among them was a Beagle that was named Shorty, one of the many shorty hounds he had. He always called the Beagles Shorty or Short Stuff as they had short legs. I had a small dog I called Skippy and he was a little bit of all breeds and had funny ears and long hair that was sandy colored. He acted tough but he really was afraid of his own shadow. Late one night dad called us out on the porch to let us listen to the cougar howling up in the woods. This cougar had been in peoples barns and had killed some small farm animals. He was howling pretty loud that evening. Skippy ran off into the house with his tail under his tummy whining. I listened for awhile and then I went into the house to go to bed. The next evening about supper time dad came in the house and said Sister we need to go down into the hollow and see if we can find one of the cows, she seems to be mooing down there. She was about a quarter of a mile or so from the house. He took Shorty with him and I took Skippy and both dogs were prancing along and we were walking and then Dad said be still and the next thing I know Shorty goes running over to the tree, and set up barking and barking, Skippy stayed right by me and the hair on his back was really ruffled up and his ears were standing up. The cow was caught fast in a bunch of dew berry vines and some under brush. Dad and I went over there and started to pull her out of the briar's and get her free so she would quit bellering and mooing. Old Shorty really set up howling and trying to get up into the tree. Dad said to me I think that the cougar is up in that tree. We got the cow out and dad said we should start hi-stepping it for home, and about that time I guess skippy had enough, all of his hair stood up on his back and he stuck his tail up under his belly and he hightailed it towards home. We had the time of our life getting things set up so we could get home as fast as possible and not disturb the cougar setting up in the tree that Shorty was barking at. Dad didn't want to turn his back on it although we couldn't see it we could hear it rustling around. We finally got the stupid cow out of the briar's and dad hit her on the rump and set her going towards the house. Dad called the Beagle and we started to step as fast as we could for the house. Dad said that the cougar thought he would get an easy meal as the cow was caught in the briar's and wouldn't be able to defend herself. Fortunately for us she had a big moo and let us know that she was hung up and it was daylight so we could get her out. Several days later some farmers got the cougar and shot him. I was happy he was gone as Mom wouldn't let us out to play much with him stalking animals she said you never could be sure he wouldn't stalk us. Dad said the cougar was too afraid to come that close to the house, but it didn't matter to mama she just said we couldn't go out into the woods in the back of the house and that was that!