Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-19
FIGHT WITH CATAMOCNT.
4 sleigh hide Enlivened by an En-
counter with q Hungry Animal.

counter with q Hungry Animal.
A man driving a horse covered from
head to foot with foam drove into ths
village of Milford, Pa, just after darl
| a few nights since, writes a Port Jervis
correspondent of the New York Sun
He was suffering from nervous shock
His buffalo robe was badly torn, his
whip broken and the back part of hit
sleigh spiintered and covered with
scratches and deep indentations. The
man gave his name as c. ID. keeney OF
New York. He was a travelling sewing
machine agent. He had been attacked
by catamOunt four miles from Mil.
ford. and had only escaped from it f.el
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, Dor
dered by deep weeds. 1t was nearly
dark, and Just as he was rounding one
of the short turns in the road his horse,
SHE'D and then gave a jump forward
and started on a furious run. At the
same time an animal sprang from the
loaped for the horse, but the quick
AoSCiAUub VI tuo ltttCI uclCdtCu ltS
purpose, and it alighted with its fore
keeney's lap. The animal glared saw
aeely at keeney as it clung to the robe
With it's claws, and uttered fierce groWls.
keeney had never seen 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 oatam0unt blow with it
on the head, which caused 1t to loosen
its hold or the robe and drop into the
snow. 1t instantly renewed the attack
with increased 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 threat
ening it constantly with destruction
against some rock or stump, keeney
Was obliged to drop the reins and leave
the result to chance. for the catamOunt
was fighting desperately and furiOusly
to gain a fOothold in the sleigh and
close with its occupant.
keeney says he knew that in case the
sleigh collided with any heavy obstacle
he would be no match for the cata-
eIount fighting ON the slippery snow,
even If he were thrown out and un-
harmed, and SO he strained every nerve
to it while he was still at al advantage
in the sleieh. Once he thought it WAS
all up with him, for as the sleigh was
carried abruptly around turn one run
ner 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 run
ner back on the track.
A few more blows after that and Kee-
ney was rejoiced 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
his teeth, aud then fall with loud yell
into the snow, and lie there mOtion,ess.
Keeney dropped back in his seat too
weak to make any endeaver to regain
control of his horse, which was still
rushing wildly along the uncertain
road. Low made moro uncertain by the
gathering darkness. After running for
three miles the horse was compelled to
come tn stop from exhaustion. Kee-
ney had recovered sufficiently to drive
in the rest of the way. Three large cat
amounts have been killed recently near
the scene of Keeney's adventure. These
animals are considered dangerous an
tagOnists when wounded or cornered,
bat it is only when they are rem dered
desperate by hunger that they will ven
ire to attack a man.