The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-04-01
Fight With Wildcats.
From the Middletown IN. W Mail.]

of the celebrities of the neighbOrhood is
Jonas Brooks-a thoroughgoing backwoods-
man, terror TO all sorts of ''varmint"
that prowl about that part of the country,
and particularly to wild cats of which he has
killed immense numbers, so many that he is
known everywhere about the region by the
sobraquet of "Jonas Brooks, the Wildcat
Killer OF Edeu.' His various exploits and
adventures In that line, if properly written
up, would make a book of thrilling interest,
a worthy companion to 'Tom Quick, the
Indian Slayer"
Some few weeks ago Jones espied one of
these hated te.iues, while going through
piece of woods, and, true to his instinct,
he made after the animal, without stopping
to consider that he was unarmed-uot even
having jack-knife about him. He follow
ed it until it retreated to sort of cavern in
the rocks. where 1ouas made up his MUD
to Ego in" and capture the ''varminI." SO.
picking up tough hickory club, he proceed
ed to enter the cave. After passing the en-
trance, to his surprise he found gu lie lofty
cavern, extending back some thirty teet,
and IN the turthest extremity glowed not
only one, but half dozen pairs OF teroc-
Gus eyes which betokeued warm work tor
any intruder. jonas Was Undoubtedly
"somethiu' took back" as he expressed it,
at the sight of so many glistening eyes fix
ed upon him, but as it was uot iu his nature
to retreat under any circumstances, he eau
tlously advanced into the cave.
He soon discovered that lie had walked
into a zeal litter OF wlldcats-two old oues
and four young oues-and about the time
he lad got through counting them the big
est one of the six "went for him." Throw
ing himself back iu an angle of the cavern,
the herculean backwoodsman meI the tero-
clous monster with well swung blow Of
his cud gel, which rather "wlted" the ami
NAL for a moment, but before Jonas had
time fairly to recover himself from the first
onslaught, the other old cat made dive at
him, catching on his right arm and should
er and almost rendering him powerless, so
terrible was the grip of the monsters claws.
With his LETT hand, however, Jonas grasped
the throat of the animal, aud after a desper-
ate struggle succeeded in shaking him off.
Jonas now thought that discretion in such
case mlght be the 'better part OF valor,'
and accordingly began to consider the chan
ces in his mind Gin about the millionth part
of second, he said, and came to the con-
cluslon that it wouldn't do tor him to leave
the little angle in which he was so we'll post
ed.
Both of the old wildcats, meanwhile,
were lashed into a. state of the most intense
ferocity, their eyes glaring like Goals of fire,
and their hair literally standing on end.
And to add to Jonas's discontinue, the
four young ones which, although only
'kittens," were not exactly Of the kind
which lady would like to hold in her lap
began to exhibit symptoms of joining in
the fight, just to ''get their hands in" as
Jonas naively told our informant. This was
a situation. Jonas began to think this would
be his last fight with wildcats, aud the Wild
cats would probably have the extreme telic-
ity of eating Jonas Brooks for their supper.
All these thoughts OF course passed through
Jonas's mind, while the animals were for
moment kept at bay by the lively motions of
his hickory cudgel. Only for moment,
however, as his antagonist again took the
in an attack, and although she met with
sharp blow Of the cudgel, the whole litter
followed in such quick succession that ,Jo-
mas was unable to keep them off. And now
ensued struggle which it is useless to at
tempt to portray.
The furious animals clawed into Jonas in
every quarter, while he made almost super
human efforts to tear them otf-kuockiug
about right and left with his club, as well
as he was able, and clutchius them by the
throats with his left hand when he got
chance. Luckily Jonas was arrayed in q
good suit OF homespun, lusteBd Of 'sAoddy,'
or he would have been stripped to the Skin
in no time. The fight was a fierce and live
ly one for a time, as can readily be imagln-
ed. Jonas was fighting for his llte, howev-
er, and soon succeeded In putting the young
cats hors dat combat, by Cracking them ,judi-
clously over the heads. HIS bio IS upru TIE
old ones also began 10 tell, aud alter last
desperate struggle, In which one of them
got finishing blow, the other retreated to
the back OF the cave, where Jonas proceed
ed to 60 for him also, leaviag Jonas mas
ter OF the situatlon.' Au inventory OF our
hero 5 wardrobe, taken after the fight, ex-
hlblted ole suspeuder, about halt vesI, one
leg OF panIaoon, 10 shirt to speak Of and
u pair Ol UOOlS tHat WOulQu 'Slltu d lltaNY
dew" as Jouas expressed it. His whole
body and limbs Were trl5httully lacoraed,
and the blood fairly ran from his wounds.
Notwithstanding which, Jonas tied the taAs
of the SIX wildcats together, aud swinging
them around his ueck, he walked nome
with his trophies.
LIGHTNING AS A DETECTIVE A great
many curious tales are related of exlraor-
diuary interposition of the electric force ID
some Of the most striking dramas of hu-
man life. Arago gives au account Of the
chief Of band of brigands being struck
down in the courtyard of prison in Ba-
varia, in the midst Of his comrades. He
was seated on the pavement, or Oh a stone,
being fastened by an iron chain to fixed
ring or staple, his companions, bound in a
similar manner, around him. The electric
charge, controlled probably in some degree
by the chain and the iron fixture to which
it was attached, passed through the body of
the chief and instantly killed him. His
comrades, knowing nothing of the natural
laws by which this natural agency is con-
trolled were struck with consternation he