The Cross Timbers Stories

Lewis, his brother Chas, and their dog Buster encounter panthers in the story Panthers in the Cotton Field, one of the stories found in The Cross Timbers Stories collection. The boys and the dog are forced to hide in their cotton-hauling basket to out wit the panthers. …The moment I saw the panthers I understood their performance. Having discovered that the baskets would roll, and being in a playful mood, they were amusing themselves rolling us about as a kitten rolls a ball of yarn. This ball had three mice in it, which the big cats believed that they could secure easily whenever they were ready to eat us. As the sequel proved, it wasn’t so easy after all…
The Cross Timbers Stories collection for the most part portrays the lives of the early Timbers settlers as they escape from wild animals, search for treasure, and support their families. Adventure abounds as the settlers seek to establish roots in a newly explored territory. As the humble characters of The CrossTimber Stories establsih their homes and tend to their families, they continually demonstrate determination that ensures that their stories will last.