Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-05-03

p"' sWitinp, crossing It's own trail
oiteh' and apparently not very much |
concerned about the noisy pursuers
behind 1t. II may often come in f,u
sight OF The horsemen sitting at the
openings OF the swamp, and NAV even
pass within twenty feet OF them with
hardly more than a surly turn az the
mead toward them / supposa ha
would lash his sides with his tail II ha
could but a bob-cat isn't built thai
way. lie can't lash with his tail very
huch; put a holder, or, indeed, a mora
impudent animal it would be hard IN
find, no matter what its size. As tho
cal thus prowls around or crosses from
one Dit OF cover to another, it would
De an easy matter to shoot it, but no
hunter will do that He will wait ma
tiently for the hounds, which present.
ly, with open mouths and heads breast
high, and tails that fairly curl for
Ire, come streaming along in angry
haste on the trail. They will
work 1t out and gradually get
closer aud closer up to the cat. Per-
haps in some sudden turn they NAV
run across it in the cover. If this be
the case, there will be the wild and
unmlstskable sounds of the baying-up
and oil the combat, but probably this
Will last but a moment, till the cat
breaks away and resumes its fight
Alarmed now. and aware of the i'm
portant qualities of its enemies, the
chase leaves the swamp and makes off
over the bottoms and into the nearest
timber. The hounds press closely
after, fairly making the hills sing.
They pass out of sight, followed by
every hunter at his best speed. Pres
emily the recurrent and melodious COM
plant OF the hounds changes into a
loud continuous roar of rage and
baffied hatred. Each hunter knows
what has happened as well as if he
saw. The cat, following its instinct,
has made to the timber when too hard
pressed, and has run up into the near
est tree, where, safe above the dogs, it
is sitting on some limb, splitting, growl-
ing and Kissing, or now and then lick
ing its moist paws or smoothing down
its rumpled coat just as tabby does at
home.
As the hunters approach the dogs
become absolutely furious and leap up
against the tree as far as they can in
their endeavor to get at their prey
The latter splits at them little more,
but doesn't get very much excited. The
next question is how to get the cat
down. Here, again. it would be easy
to kill it, but this is not permitted. 1t
is allowable TO shoot away the limb
under or above the cat, but not to shoot
the animal itself Alarmed by the
shots, or, perhaps, by stick thrown
at it, the cat backs down to the trunk
; of the tree. descends, and with a long
sidelong spring, leaps out clear beyond
the clustering and raging dogs, and
makes off again through the woods
| 1t may be freed several times before il
is brought to bay. At length, how
ever, 1t pun pOoSlS luA 10 W Is IL; VI
| else by some miscalculation Jumps
, down among the dogs. Then there is
, rapid and sanguinary trouble. Every
: body knows how strong the ordinary
) house cat is and how vicious are it:
: teeth and claws. Multiply this cat by
about ten and you get faint notion o.
the wild cat. No creature fights more
5 desperately or more wickedly. Flat OF
7 its back. it seizes dogs head with it:
teeth and fore claws, while with it;
hind claws it fairly tears the flesh from
r the bones, or perhaps nearly disem
: bowels its enemy. The young dog
a rush in and receive fearful punishment
g before the older fighters have time t.
r plan the battle. Two or three draw
V out bloody and mangled. The who'll
a pack is ahame with anger, and tn
;, tumnlt is astonishing. One momen
t and the veteran OF the pack finds hi
opportunity. Needless of tooth an
a claw. he rushes in and bears the ca
/ fast to the ground, crushing in 1t
n chest between his fore legs, or JUS
), back of them, with the grip OF his pow
: erful Jaws He pins the cat to tn
e earth. and never raises his own hea
d until his prey has ceased to struggle
h In the meantime, the cat is almost tor
g from him by the jaws of the other dog
= High aloft they hold the limp boa
IS from the ground; and after it has bee
l. tied behind the hunters saddle if a lie
O chance to fall down, or the body hal
pen to move, two OF three hounds VIII
# Jealous growls, will spring at 1T.
n The hide of the wild cat is light an
If thin. and is easily tanned. Stretc
O the skin nicely into shape, fur SID
+ down. and after patiently scraplng o
J. the fat and fiber cover it with pounde
"a salt and alum, three-fourths to on
+. fourth-the exact proportion doesn
v much matter-and leave it to dry 1,
= several DAYS in place where II WI
r. not freeze. The salt cures the hl'
A. and the alum sets the hair ocral
h off the salt and alum and just molst'
the flesh side with water; then cover
with a coat of the fresh brains OF
~ most any animal. Deer's brains a
49, hest. but those of an OK, sheep vi
~ bor will do. Let the skin dry Tor
=, =, least twenty-four hours in sha'
10 nloce Then scrape it thorough
t. with a blunt knife, and after that II
d. It hard with rough stone. ~ p ,