Aunt Fanny's Miraculous Preservation in a Cattle Stampede

“I had got out my chair and was fixing the cushions on it right here in the end opening between our wagon and Woodruff’s, when all of a sudden I heard the cattle bellowing and stamping and I saw they were all coming straight for the gateway where I stood, headed by Bawley, our own big black ox. I knew in a moment it was a stampede and that I would be tramped to death under their feet. It wa’nt no use trying to run for the wagon, because the end of both wagons was turned away from me., I was too scared to move, so I just prayed a little and raised the chair in front of my head, and stood still. I couldn’t see exactly what happened in front, but I guess Bawley was kind o’ scared of the pinted spikes of the chair or its red and green cushion, or suthing, I can’t tell what! Maybe ’twas an angel interfered. Anyway, they all stopped bellowing, and now the guard’s come back—he went off to get a drink of water—and now t’ I come to set down and think of it I am all of a tremble like. — The Young Woman's Journal 16:8”