The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-02-07

Mr.. c. d. KEExEY's EXCITING ADVENTURE
NEAR MILFORD.

NEAR NiLfOhDs
A Port Jervis On. " telegram says: c.
ID. Keeney. travelling agent for sewing
machine company Of New York city, had a
thrilling adventure while driving through
the woods near Milford. Penn, one day
last week. He was on his way to that viz
lace, driving q somewhat spirited horse
attached TO a low-bodied sleigh. The road
he was travelling is lonely one, with deep
woods on each side. 1t Is very narrow
and crooked, some OF the turns In 1t
being extremely abrupt. He was four
miles from Milford, and IL was nearly
dark. As he drove around a sharp
turn in the road a large animal suddenly
sprang at the horse from the roadside. The
horse had seen the animal as 1t crouched In
the edge OF the woods, and, frightened,
bounded quickly forward and started on
run. The animal missed the horse and
aIighted with the claws OF its fore-feet on
the buffalo robe that lay across keeuey's
lap and hung there, glaring at Keeney and
uttering low but fierce growls. keeney.
from its appearance, knew that the animal
was a catamount, and large one, although
he had never seen one before. Fortunately
his whip bad a butt quite heavily loaded
with lead. and he quickly drew 1t from the
socket and beat the catamount over the
head and compelled ii 10 loosen Its hold on
the robe and fall back In the snow. The
horse was running furiously away along
the narrow and crooked road, threatening
the sleigh with destruction by collision
with some one of the many rocks or stumps
that lned each side OF the way. but Kee-
ney was not permitted to pay any attention
to the horse, for the catamount, with fury
increased by the blows from the heavy
whip, sprung upon the back Of the sleigh
and began q fierce tight for the mastery OF
It's occupant. keeney rained blow after
blow on the desperate animal, while his
horse flew like the wind along the road,
and the sleigh was thrown from one side
to the other. Keeney expected momenta-
rily that it would either be upset or dashed
to pieces, i'm which event lie felt that his
chances of escape from the furious cata-
mount, driven to rage by pain and to des-
peration by hunger, would be slight in
deed.
Once, as the sleigh was whirled around
a sharp bend in the road, one runner
struck a stone and the sleigh careened
nearly over. Ii ran for some distance on
ore runner, and then, fortunately, equi-
librium was restored. In spite OF the
blows Keepey dealt the catamount with
the butt OF the whip, IL retained its
hold on the sleigh, and fought furiOusly
for a quarter OF a mile. A well-directed
blow then knocked it loose, and it fell
back into the road, and lay there appa-
rently unconscious. When Keeney saw
that h. had escaped from the catamount
the reaction was so great that he was
unable to make any effort to regain con-
troll of his horse, and it ran for three miles,
when, covered with foam, it came to a stop
from sheer exhaustion. The back Of Kee-
ney's sleigh was torn to splinters by the
teeth and sharp claws OF the catamount, |
showing plainly what his fate would have
been il the animal had succeeded in its |
Efforts TO close with him in the sleigh.
Catamounts have been unusually plenty |
N the Pike-county woods this winter. |
Three were recently killed near the scene |
Of Keeney's adventure. While it is well |
Known that they are desperate and danger
JUS when wounded or driven into a cor
1er. they have rarely been known TO attack |
/ man or large prey. Extreme hunger |
done will drive them to so desperate an act.