Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-11
AT DUSK IN PIKE COUNTY.
A New York Mans Sleigh Ride EnlIvene
by Hungry CatamOunt.


A man driving a horse covered from
head to foot with foam, says a Port Jervis
special, drove into the village Of Milford,
Pa, just after dark a few nights since.
He was suffering from nervous shock.
His buffalo robe was badly torn, his whip
broken, and the back part of his sleigh
splintered and covered with scratches and
deep indentaticns. The man gave his
name as &. D. Keeney, Of New York. He
was a travelling sewing machine agent.
He had been attacked by a catamOunt
four miles from Milford, and had escaped
from it after a desperate contest. He told
this story:
He was on his way to Milford, over one
of the lonely, narrow and crooked back
roads of Dingman township, bOrdered by
deep woods. 1t was nearly dark, and just
as he was rounding one of the short turns
in the road, his horse, which is somewhat
spirited, suddenly SHE'D and then gave a
jump forward and started on a furious
run. At the same time an animal sprang
from the side of the road. 1t had evidently
leaped for the horse, but the quick move
ment of the latter defeated its purpose,
and it alighted with its fore feet on the
buffalo robe that lay across Keeney'S lap.
The animal glared savagely at KeeneY, as
it clung to the robe with its claws, and
uttered fierce grOWls. Keeney had never
seen a catamOunt, but he knew that he
had one to deal with, and a very large and
desperate one at that. He had no weapon,
but fortunately his whip was heavily
loaded at the butt.
Clinging to the reins with his left hand,
he drew the whip from its socket, and
dealt the catamOunt blow with it on the
head which caused it to loosen its hold on
the robe and drop into the snow. 1t in
stantly renewed the attack with in
| creased fury, and sprang upon the back
of the sleigh. Although the horse was
running madly away along the narrow
and crooked road throwing the sleigh
from side to side and threatening it con-
stantly with destruction against some
rock or stump, Keeney wac obliged to
drop the Teins and leave the result to
chance, for the catamOunt was fighting
desperately and furiOusly to gain a foot
hold in the sleigh and close with its Occu-
pant.
Keeney says he knew that in case the
sleigh cOllided with any heavy obstacle
he would be no match for the catamOunt
fighting on the slippery snow, even if he
were thrown out and unframed, and so
he strained every nerve to conquer it
while he was still at an advantage in the
sleigh Once he thought it was all up
with him, for as the sleigh was carried alb
ruptly around a turn, one runner struck a
stone, and the sleigh tipped over and ran
for several yards on the other runner.
Keeney mechanically threw the weight of
his body against the upper side, while
still raining blows on the catamOunt, and
forced the runner back on the track.
A few more blows after that and keeney
was reioiced to see the tenacious brute
first loosen one claw, hang for an instant
with the other while it tried to seize the
! back of the sleigh again with its teeth,
and then fall with loud yell into the
| snow and lie there mOtiOnless.
Keeney dropped back in his seat too
weak to make any endeavOr to regain
control of his horse, which was still rush
| ing wildly along the uncertain road, now
made more uncertain by the gathering
| darkness. After running for three miles
the horse was compelled to come to a stop
from exhaustion. Keeney had recovered
sufficiently to drive in the rest of the way.
Three large catamounts have been killed
recently near the scene of Keeney's adj
venture. These animals are considered
| dangerous antagonists when wounded OF
cornered, but it is only when they are
rendered desperate by hunger that they
| venture to attack man.