San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-19
A CORNER ON cATAMouNTs.
Encounter of q West Virginia Preacher
with a Family of Wildcats.

Rev. Shamrock Henderson, Campbellite
preacher of Mcdowell county, who has
Travelled these mountains for almost half
century, says Cole Creeg (W. Va letter to
The Pittsburg Post, and who has in times
past had adventures and escapes enough to
satisfy any reasonable mortal, was crossing
Cole creek in its widest part, close up to
Micajah mountain, when he saw two cata-
mount kittens playfully tumbling on the
creek bank.
The reverend gentleman concluded to cap
ture tho pretty, bobtailed, innocent looking
punches of fluff and fur alive, and to take
them home as curiosities. He dismounted,
and stepping lightly as possible gave chase.
One Of the little fellows slipped into hollow
log, while the other made break for the
woods. The one which struck for the woods
was easily overtaken and captured, after
having pretty severely scratched the hands
Of the reverend zoologist. The one in the log
stuck like leech to its sides, and II was not
until after an hour or more Of hard work the
preacher 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 DOCKS anu blDieS
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 neishbor q distance Of
six miles or more. Before he had ridden
half the distance tbs sun had disappeared be-
hind tho mountain. The reverend gentle
man was riding slowly along through the
deepening gloom of the forest in . thought
full, half sleeping mood when a shrill screech
behind him and up the mountain side re-
minded him that it was growing dark and
there was a rapidly approaching prospect of
q fight, if not a pair of them, with the
parents of the kidnapped contents of the sad
die bags.
DR.. Henderson can make long prayer,
and is not averse to a good square fight when
he cannot get out Of it. He realized that
this was one of the occasions when prayer
had to take a back seat and muscle and grit
must hustle for the supremacy Disnount-
ing he secured heavy hickory club before
the cats arrived, but not 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 di
rectly for their captor. One Of the cata-
mounts, an unusually large and ferocious
male, made spring for the dominie's throat
but received a whack with the hickory
which laid him on his back. Before Hender-
son could recover his guard the female
caught him by the shoulder as it leaped and
raked him, tearing a section of bis coat and
about six inches of his skin and fesh into
ribbons.
Fortunately the cat missed her calculation,
tha ho,
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 unorthOdOI things as
he ever did in his life By this time the male
had got on his feet again, and both cats pre-.
pared to spring at once. Henderson, seeing
that the affair was getting serious, backed
up against tree and awaited their on.
Taught. He didn't have to wait long, as
ne male, snarllng with rage, made leap al
his throat, while the female crept to one side
IS if to flank him. This fact saved the
preacher, as it gave him time to receive the
biggest one, which he skillfully did by jump
ing to the right and striking it es 1t struck
tho tree where he had just stood. Tho blow
knocked it senselesS. The female made fly
inS leap, but another quick movement al
lowed her to strike the base of the tree where
the preacher had stood. He gave it one hard
blow on the side, but slipped and fell, when
the cat buried her teeth and claws In his leg.
1t was now a rolling, tumbling fight for
very brief period, but the dominieS good
luck did not desert him, as he was fortunate
enough to hit the animal on the back, break
ing its spine. As soon rs he could free him
self from her embrace he ran to the male,
which was just getting on its feet, and hit 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 remained al
most fortnight before he was sbIo to GO
about again.