The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-29
HUNTING WILDCATS.
THE PASADENA HUNT CLUBS DAY
WITH THE CALIFORNIA LYNX.
New Edition OF the Game Of pussy In a
Corner"-The Game, Perched Upon "A
Sycamore Iimb-In a Whirlwind of
Fcrociors Hounds.

Corner"-The Game, Perched Upon "A
Sycamore Iimb-In a whirlwind Of
Ferocious Hounds.
"Is this a coon or a fox huntr asks lady
on spirited little bronco. ~ came out
for wildcats
"And you shall have one,r said Tire master
Of the hounds, as the bay OF old Music
broke the stiffness IF that isn't a cat am
greatly mistaken. Stand back. gentlemen
he cried as a moment later the sounds grew
louder. and then the whole pack swept bv ~
if ID review by the sweating chatting horses
away they go, living wnirlwind. the horses
ieaping after. The plunging. rearing
scramblng is indescribable Down the bank
up the other side. the green hands cursinr.
while the old climbers scramble over and
frd themselves In the thickness " thick ar.
royo juugles Shouts come from an about
some see the game, and some merely think
they do: but finally, anil perfect pands
monium. comes the welcome sound. "rrselm
The horses come struggling mp. some
without riders and riders without hats
Some are caught in the briars aad seem nm.
able 20 get ont, but finally the nah is
assembled around a big sycamore, about
which the dogs are grouped, making music.
Some attempt 10 climb and fall back One
young dog gains ten feet up the slippery
trunk only % slide down again What is
all about Cast your owes upward fifty
yes. sixty feet. and there is the object Of an
the work, sport, carly rising and general up-
roar-the arch chicken thief himself How
big he looks crouching on a big limb. backed
against the trunk, looking down ~ his tor.
mentors. his two ewes blazing green and yell
low, his ears twtching nervously. and the
short tail moving back and forth. indicative
of rage and fear freed surely, but caught
No, indeed The chances are that be viii
mako another tree before the finish.
Give hiua chance 10 rest, says the ilas-
ter Of the hounds, who believes in fair play.
if anything "He is winded and so are the
dogs But the latter DO not care towait.
They sit and look with eager eyes. tongues
hanging out, and white. froth fecked teeth.
showing a formidable array for poor russ.
who looks down TO almost certain death
Still, cats are said to have nine lives. and he
does not propose 10 give them up 50 readily.
a CIRCLE AROUND THE TREE
"Now, ladies' and gentlemen" save the
huntsman, form yourselves ina circle about
the tree, and give the dogs full play, and
don't shoot, the hounds have worked for the
eat and they deserve IT, Again, it is the
most humane way Of looking at IL. the dogs
will kill the cat sooner than bullet"
With the little speech delivered for the
benefit Of the excitable tenlerfeet in the
hunt the horses are arranged in a big circle
about the sycamore. and young man who
wishes to beard the lion In lis den crawls
slowly up As he draws nearer the cat the
latter looks around 10 desperation. The tail
witches quicker and more No vously, gianc-
ing down the open moathcd dogs, then at
the approaching human enemy, the poor ami
nal is evidently considering the chances
Nearer the clnker comes. until man and cat
gaze into each others eyes scarce three feet
away. For a moment puss hesitates; them
turning quickly, lie steadies himself and
with a mighty spring, Is in the air Down
he goes fifty feet, bounces among the bush, a
mass OF springs steel and rubber, and is
away He has landed just beyond the circle
aud a horse has dashed aside TO let him pass
followed by the pack in full cry. They go
like a flash Of light, a roaring, crashing
sound; scream-and puss is again visible
perched upon the limb Of another biglsyca'
more.
The same thing is repeated again and
again, and the ladies' repent, and cries Of
let her go, poor puss, are heard among
the bayiig OF the dogs that are growing
fairly mad with unappeased foreclosures
Again the young man faces the cat this time
fully sixty feet from the ground. Surely, II
ever an animal had won is liberty, this one
had But the game IS up, the dogs are
sDrcadrg, and as out into the air the cat
leaps, in magnificent form they collect
Down be comes Ikea gigantic flying squirrel
with LEGS spread far apart the soft cushion
like pads ready for rebound Like a fash
he cuts the air, strikes the ground al the
writer's feet and IS enveloped in whlrlwind
of ferocious hounds.
TIE AGONY Is OVER.
The agony Of the cat is over ia a second,
but the dogs fight, war and struggle until
each has vented his rage upon the inanmato
skin. that is now borne aloft rs a trophy
Not few Of the dogs but have not felt the
sharp teeth and claws OF the vicious cat that
tips the scales no fifty pounds
"Well,n said tenlerfoot, "for mp and
down excitement that beats anything over
saw or heard Of IL makes your very hair
stand on end, and | fancy that il the cat
should strike any one during the jump he
would in all probability 20 under"
Two other cats were freed, and those. with
coon and a coyote, constituted the morning.
hunt. Like fishing. wildcat hunting changes
Sometimes they are plentiful and again not
ono is seen. In all several hundred OF these
mischevous animals have been killed by tho
hounds Of Mr. Bandini, and the sport may
be ranked wiki any IN excitement, while
being followed on horseback it affords rido
through one Of the most delightful portions
OF the southern country.
The wildcat Of this country, while not 50
large as its cousin OF Colorado and other
states, is a large and powerful animal for a
cat, averaging forty or fifty pounds, with
small tassels upon its ears, high rump ana
small, ridiculously small tai, which, how
ever, is a very expressive organ.
The wildcat is, according 70 some Guthori-
ties, the ancestor Of the present domestic
cat. The long tail OF the house cat may 10
accounted for by assuming that generations
49,. 81. d. O.. Hu