The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-06
A CORNER ON CATAMOUNTs.
encounter of a West Virginia Preacher
With a Family OF Wild Cats.

With a Family OF WIG CaCS.
ICole Greek Letter to Pittsbttr0 PoStl
Rev. Shamrock Henderson, Campbellite
nreacher, of Mcdowell county, who has
travelled these mountains for almost half a
century, and who has in times past had ad-
ventures and escapes enough to satisfy any
reasonable mortal, did one of the most
foolish things in his life a day or two
since. which ie has reason to regret, as he
EXPRESSED it. Sin short meter" Mr.. Hen
derson was crossing Cole creek in its wild
est part, close up to Micajah mountain, a
few afternoons since, when he saw two
catamount kittens playfully tumbling on
the creek bank
capture the pretty. bobtailed, innocent-look-
ing punches of fluff and fur alive, and to
take them home as curiosities He dis
mounted, and stepping lightly as possible
gave chase. One of the little fellows slipped
into hollow log, while the other made a
brea for the woods The one which struck
for the woods was easily overtaken and
raptured after having pretty severely
scratched the hand of the reverend zJolO-
gist. The one in the log stuck like leech
10 its sides, and 1T was Pet until an hour or
more of hard work thes e'eacher succeeded
in pulling him out with forked stick, when
he too. was carried back to the horse and
consigned to one side Of the saddle bags,
whose contents consisted OF hymn books and
bibles.
Mr.. Henderson, finding that time had
flown on swift wings while he had been
after his kittens, started his horse for the
house Of the nearest neighbor, a distance of
six miles or more Before he had ridden
hat the distance the sun mad disappeared
behind the mountains. The reverend gen.
tleman was riding slowly along through
the deepened gloom of the forest, in a
thong tful, housekeeping mood, when a
shrilI scream behind him and up the noun
tain side reminded him that it was growing
dark aud there was rapidly approaching
prospect of a fight, If not a pair of them,
with the parents of the kidnapped contents
Of the saddle-bags.
DR.. Henderson can make long prayer,
and is not averse to good square fight
when be cannot get out of it. he realized
that this was one of the occasions when
PRAYER had to take back seat and muscle
and grit must hustle for the supremacy.
Dismounting, he secured heavy hickory
club before the cats arrived, but not a
moment too soon. Both the old cats appeared
at the same time in the road ahead of the
preacher. They had undoubtedly scented
the kittens, and made directly tor their
captor One of the catamounts, an un-
usually large and ferocious male, made a
spring for the domlnie's throat, but received
q wback with the hickory which laid him on
his back. Before Henderson could recover
his guard the female caught him by the
shoulder as it leaped and raked him, tear
ing section of his coat and about six in
ches of his skin and flesh into ribbons
Fortunately the cat missed her calcula-
ti0n, as the preacher swung about with the
weight of his blow on her partner, or it
would have gone worse with him. AS it
was the wound was terribly painful and
made the dominic come as near saying IN
orthodox things as he ever did in his life.
By this time the male had got on his feet
again and both cats prepared to spring at
once. Henderson, seeing that the affair
was getting serious, backed up against a
tree and awaited their onslaught. He
didn't have to wait long, as the male, snarl-
ing with rage, made leap at his throat,
while the female crept to one side, as if to
flank him. This fact saved the preacher,
as it gave him time to receive the biggest
one which he skillfully did by jumping to
the right and striking it a. it struck the tree
where he had just stood. The blow k ocked
It senseless. The female made flying leap,
but another quick movement allo ed her to
strike the base of the tree where the
preacher had stood. He gaveit one good blow
on the side. but slipped, and as he fell the
cat buried her teeth and claws in his legs.
1t was now rolling tumbling fight for a
very brief period, but the dominie's good
luck did not desert him, as he was fortunate
enough. to hit the animal on the back,
breaking its spine. AS soon as he could pull
himself from her embrace he ran to the
male, which was just getting on its feet,
and dealt it two or three terrible blows,
which killed it.
Both cats were now dead, but the preacher
was so badly torn and exhausted that he
had great difficulty in getting to his horse.
When he remounted he rode as rapidly as
he could to the nearest house, where he re-
manned almost fortnight before he was
able to go about again. The dominic still
has the kittens, but he says he's not anxious
to tackle another job like the last one