The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-12-06
Strange Rencontre,,,r, , ,,,,,.

+ uNSro- P.uvS, "a AhN0nprL LnT'st-
mas, "a citizen of our district, went to the
Wateree for the purpose of shooting wild
turkles. Most persons are familiar with
the wiIes OF the turkey y-hunter. Con-
ccaling himself, he makes sound with a
quill, or something Of the kind, similar to
the call of the ''hon;" and, if there be cv-
er gallant gobhIcr in brake "r bush,
within hearing, he is m"r"'n apt" 10 come
~ iiltlng.' Bnt the noble bird is not al.
ways the only one who is attracted hv
the c;.il his lady'S bower. 1t hctrayS her
whereabouts to The hungry wildcat; Gni
he comes too.
Upon tho occasion To which We refer.
NJ. Christnt> r"uIcacd himself, all riyhr
aud then bcSam To pipe, his call. Whrth.
er the sound over reached the ears for
which it WAS in.cndcd, we know not
But certainly il WAS heard: Tor with nose
less tread aud rapid bound fierce Wild
cat sprung full upon Mr.. Christmas should,
crs, before that astonished gentleman
could say "s'ca;.' After some scuillin.
the caIamount WAS diSmO ntcd; hnt nu,
before he had scratched a fer h"rri"i
no wTn"ss to prove, are his marx" The
perfect int uion Of the cry of the turkey
and the cagcrnesS of the cat sufficiently
account for the cata,,rophc.
The friend who told us Of ibis occur.
r.ncc remarked also, that the story seem
ed 80 improbable tha, he couId scarcely
give it his credence, Notwithstanding the
I'll. Ne
long after, however, he vent upon simi.
lar excursion himself; and after conceal
ing himself in the most approved manner
in close thicket with hi, gun resin
upon fallen long, lie began to "yclp.
lie had been al this for some time and
had been looking behind him for few
moments, when upon turning round, there
upon tho log. staring him full IN the face
with every muscle contracted for a spring
upon our friends devoted head, stood \
| huge wild cat In the suddenness Of his
sur Prise and (shaIl we say the word, Tom?)
terror, at being thus confronted, he threw
up his arms, making very pous cxcIa
mation-except tha, II was too abrupt
! All this wasn't done exactly rs n Mrkey
would have acrc.l; and Mr.. Cat, perceivina
the difference, turned about and iunpc,
the other way. Our hunter recovered hi,
seIfpoSscssion and his gun. and levelel the
latter At the disappearing GrimaIkn:- -
But the first barrel missed fire and the
second missed the caL--at least, it wenI
off; hut the varnint rent of too.
| We asked our friend; "iIow did his eye.
look, Toms"
"EycT They looked like two roun,
balls of fire."
"Ani did y on holloal"
He repiied that the exclamation, vhicl
we have spokea Of, was so audible, tha
his friend who was two or three hundre,
yards oil heard il distinctly, "Aud ha,
to show him the tracks Of the cat on tn
log, before he would believe me-"
Ifany Of our readers are Of opinion
that it is small matter 10 meet viii
cat in close quarters, il is because the
are not acquainted with the animal. i
size they are match for the dog, Will
their prowess b passed into provert
so that the highest point of exeelecc {
which the "figbtin' karTickier' evrs aspire
is, to" lick my weight 10 wild c,tsy' 'Th
language. though often made use OF B
boastlul bachanals, is ever regarded :
most hyperbolical.-SVmttr Watchmdi