Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Patsy the pet deer...

The family had a pet deer which they had found as a young fawn soon after moving to Cedar County on the Jamerson Farm. The young deers mother had been killed and the young became tame with the gentle care and feeding by the Pike children . They kept the deer named Patsy until they moved from the old Francis farm to the new home they had traded for where Tandy and Narcissa lived the rest of their life.

On moving day the pet deer was left to be moved with the cattle. In late evening after everything else had been moved Tully Tandy returned for the pet deer and cattle. Just before Tandy reached the barn a rifle shot rang out and Tandy ran a few steps where he saw Patsy standing with her head to the ground and blood gushing from her nose. While standing at her side a man stepped from behind a tree and said, "I'm sorry Mr. Pike but I'm afraid I have shot your pet deer." Then Tandy relieved his anger by telling Joe how much he loved him. The man was Joe _____ (name omitted to protect any living relatives) who had been their closest neighbor whle living on the old Jamerson farm. Joe knew all about them having the deer and he knew they still had the pet deer. Patsy wore a bright red flannel band around her neck with her bell. After Tandy had gotten through telling Joe what a brute he was then he had to shoot the deer . Then he carried her home. There was a sad little funeral for their dear little pet who was a constant companion and playmate to the children.


Just a short while before this the children had raked up a large pile of leaves and they put baby Johnce in the middle of the pile and covered him up. Just then the pet deer saw them and came running and jumped into the middle of the leaves. Baby Johnce then let out a loud cry. When the deer jumped off to one side and began to paw the leaves away the children pulled little Johnce out of the leaves and Patsy ran to him and began licking his face and bleating as if to be trying to say how sorry she was .

So to lose a pet like that was like losing one of the family.

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