The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-09-03

h IisAt Sse Lie Dseuvn Ien-Cat md
1aoooon.

..chirp," l concluded to rest for
awhile. found an old log upon forty
or fifty feet square Of table land, near
which was small pool. supplied evil
IDENTIFY from spring above. My dog
nestled down beside me, and Sam went
on. had not been there many min
utes, when .'Cal," the dog, made .
low growl. l looked around, and a
short distance from me was q black
cat, the largest I had ever seen. I
silenced the dog and called tom"
kindly, and he came up to me. After
stroking and caressing him for a few
moments, I noticed that he seemed
interested in small sapling hard by,
and almost Immediately coon sprang
to the ground, as if to make for his
lair. tom" was too quick for him to
enable him to get far, for with about
two bounds he was on the coon's back.
The coon tumbled to his fighting posi-
ton on his back and at it they went. I
was dazcd for q moment or two by the
suddcnness of the situation, but as I
gained my self-possession I jumped to
witness the fun. The fighting was ter
rife. I had never heard such screams
and yells before. "Cal' didn't seem
to "want any of it in his" but he
danced around as If master of GER
emonies.
The cat Sc emed to be diminishing all
over the coon from head to foot and
around him SO fast that he looked like
q spinning jenny" revolving on the
central spinal vertebra as a pivotal
point. This stage of the fight lasted
for some time, but as the strength Of
the two began to ooze their unearthly
screams seemed to pass down the ga
NUT until they had nearly reached the
subdued sObs around a death-bed.
Suddenly both became silent. Evident
~ the cat had encountered a new sys-
TEN of tactics, and although fighting
with such lightning swiftness, he
seemed to have had some very rapid
thoughts upon the subject, and had
formed his conclusions. AS suddenly
as the noise ceased the cat stepped
back pace. My conclusions for the
moment was that the cat had been
whipped, but not SO. Tom reached
his back and slowly elevated his tail.
He poised it for q moment, and then
commenced to wave the black flag ut
its end. The arch slowly passed from
his back, and with death-like silence he
lowered himself to a crouching posi-
ton, and there remained to gather
breath.
The coon in the meantime lay on his
back; but after recuperating little he
seemed to conclude that he had van
pushed his foe. and made a sudden
turn to his feet.
This was the opportunity Tom was
awaiting. One strong. lightning leap
brought him upon the coon's back, and
in an instant his fangs were deeply i'm
bedded in the back of the cOon's neck.
The movement was performed so
quickly that the coon had not time to
drop to his fighting position on his
back. He tried it all the same, but it
would not answer. Tom held on, and
they rolled and tumbled. The coon
rose to his hind feet, shook himself and
fairly screamed. Toms articulation
was almost inaudible, and he was hug
ging the coon with all four legs with
death-like tenacity. The coon repeat
edly, with all known tactics, endcav-
ored to dislodge his adversary.
Each attempt was weaker than the
last. for the weight of the cat and the
deadly fangs firmly planted and as
firmly held in the neck were fast telling
the tale. The coon's strength of body
and of voice had descended from
high c to basso profundo cultural.
He finally ceased his struggles, and
mildly and quietly stretched himself
upon the burning earth. The steamy
fog almost Obsurcd them from view.
But there they lie, the cat embracing
the coon, spOoning him as child does
his mate in cold bed.
wondered what Toms next move
would be. He dared not let 20 to COM
mence any new scheme of tactics.
They lie only few feet from the pool
of water. Now or never was Toms
opportunity for a strategic movement.
He was gaining strength while his adj
vcrsary was breathing slowly and
heavily, but spasmodically. As his
broke fully upon his mind,
he quietly released his leg grasp, and
suddenly bounded with his prey for the
pool. and down they both went. They
were out of sight for a moment, but
Tom came up first, and took a COM
position on the bank. The
coon came to the surface, and keenly
did Tom watch for any warlike demon
but none came, for the coon
was in deaths last grasp. 1 spoke
kindly and encouragingly to old Tom,
and picked him up wet and bloody.
One eye had left its socket and was
hanging by thread. Iplayed Oculist
BY clipping it off with my knife.
l fished the coon out just as Sam
hove in sight.
''Cal," who had nearly danced his
legs off around the seat of war, was, rs
Sam came up, having first-class mat