Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-05-14
A MIDNIGHT EncouNTee
Doaoiy Encounter Between Cat ana
Haif-Skinned Eel.

n
HalfSkinned Eel.
"bobbing" for cells "a the favor,to
winter pastime Of Mr.. Jules Carker
VINO lives between Ridgefeld and Fair
view, N. D., and breaks the Ice thai
mas formed on the streams OF the
pracklsh water-courses that have thar
source In the Hackensack river and
now sluggishly across the low-lyino
SAT- meadows. He "bobs'' through
the holes, with a bunch OF worm for
palt' and has been very successful Of
iate' his catches. however. though
numerically large, have been CON-
posed chiefly of small fish. for big cells.
IKE snakes, usually lie torpid in the
mud during the cold weather and give
their hvelier little brothers chance
to grow fat unmolested.
Early last spring, however. he
pulled an eel nearly three feet
long out of the hole. The
creature had probably been tempted by
the warmth of the water to cast off it's
torpldity earlier than usual, and If
awoke ravenously hungry. It had talk
en- firm hold of the s.bob.n and was
with difficulty dislodged. Mr.. Carker
carried 1t home, and, finding that il
was TO all appearance lifeless when he
lad 1t down on the kitchen table. he
| proceeded to skin it. He made a cir
cular incision around the neck and
drew the knife some inches down the
pody. Then he changed his mind and
decided not to skin the eel until morn.
ing.
About midnight Mr.. Carker was
aroused by his wife vigorously pinch
ing him and telling him that robbers
were in the house. He attempted to
argue with her as to the improbability
OF Intelligent and cautious burglars in
pursuit OF their calling making such a
; racket as was in progress down stairs.
but she replied emphatically and with
reckless disregard for grammar: II
it's not robbers, what is itP" And as
he didn't know, he partly dressed him.
self and went down to find out.
The noise evidently came from the
pantry. and thither Mr.. Carker went
= trembling with cold but firm of pur
!. pose, and carrying lamp in one hant
. and the kitchen stove-lfter in the other
u AS he opened the door he saw some
e thing that fired his blood and cause,
e him to stand quite still and watch tn
d spectacle before him with eyes bulgin,
d from amazement. The big eel was en-
n gagged in Il deadly conflict with tn
J house cat Puss had entered the pantr
Il in search of a supper, and, like he
S master, supposed the motionless thin
Ill on the shelf to be lifeless. She ha
y swallowed about twelve inches of tn
- tail end of the delicacy before she dis
~ covered her mistake. The eel coul
- stand being skinned. but it could nj
q tamely submit to deglutition. 1t wa
i. worth two dead fish yet, and, awakine
I'd it made fierce resistance.
Oh The eel turned and struck at its a
1t. sailant after the manner of snak
tc but it could not disengage its tail Oh
combatant was slowly being choked
death, while the other was dying
Cd inches of laceration and general unfi
Oh ness for the situation in which it four
ID itself. Cats are proverbially tenaciol
Ut of life. but so are cells. Greek had m
az Greek, and. in the tug-of-war that fo
nv lowed, something had to give way. ii
~ " cells skin yielded first. Alrea(
ho loosened by Mr.. Carker's knife, it fall
,or TO bear the strain placed upon it, an
vo with cracking sound, the fish and
NJ hide parted company,
DIV The cat bounded away with her o
of moments outer covering trailing fro
nd her mouth and has not been SCI
SD since. Mr.. Carker thinks that, real
'ho ING that she had bitten off more tn
, it she could swallow, she went to die :
tie eretlv of modification. The eel, fl
/ INIT naked. died about two hours at
as the battle on the pantry shelf. n
u Carker offers in evidence its SKIM
ou carcass in support of the truth OF I
Se' story he tells.-N, Y Times.