Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-10-15

whar were TO see how the row powt
come out. The OIL cat tore her hand
full Of young uns, throats so durn saw
age th't she most choked the livers
outen 'em. I've seen wildcats an
painters when they was mad, Squire,
Pbut / never see none of them th't were
more rampaginous tim the nanny
catfish were wen she see dozen or
more of her family bein' chaw'd up
like that at one fell swoop, as Dominic
Van Slocum mowt say. She sprung
out on the log an SWEEP your OIL cat
often it ez if. she'd been a feather.
She bit one Of the kittens squar' in
two, an dropped half O. it on one
side O. the log an half O. it on the
t'other side. Then she stepped inter
the water ag'in an laid back to see
how the Of cat liked the way things
was going on"
"Your cat scrambled back on the
log, an tell we, Squire, her dander
were way up to the top notch. She
went to scoopin' young catfish out o
the water an tearin' 'em to pieces so
fast th't she had durn nigh sweep the
Of catfishs' family often the face O.
the earth, as it were, fore the nanny
catfish got her wind. But poorly
soon she got it an then took another
han in the misunderstanding. Fer
FIVE minutes the air were full O. fur,
an legs, an ears an tails CT yaller
kittens, an with fyin' hunks O. young
catfish. 1t were movin' scene, and
l couldn't hardly keep from yoopin'
and yellin' myself. Wen this
here whirlwind were over tn want
nuthin' left on the log but the Of cat
an one kitten. The nanny catfish
were back in the water, but not one
O her young uns had ben lef to tell
the tale. The catfish didn't ca'c'late
to let the onpleasantness rest thar, an
she bounced back on that log an
swallered the las kitten, hull an
alive, right afore its mammy's eyes.
Fore the 'ol cat KID git chance to
sock her claws in the oil catfish the
fish jumped back in the water.
Squire, it brung tears to my eyes
to hear that Of cat O. your'n cry an
moan fer them kittens o her'n, ez she
tore up an down that log, lookin' at
the catfish swimmin' around an ag.
gervatin' her. You kin put it right
down here for gospel fact, Squire,
th't catfish hain't got no heart.
Nuthin' with heart'd ha' did wat
that catfish done arter swallerin' that
las kitten. She jist marched right
up to that log, an stickin' her head
outen the water, opened her mouth
from ear to ear, SOS the NANNY cat
KID hear her kitten cryin' way down
in the dep's o that big fish. l KID
hear it cryin' way over whar | sot, an
the tears rolled down my cheeks like
peas.
"'Aw!' says |, most a sobbin'
That's rubin it in too durn muchv
says l.
THAT voice of its kitten were more'n
the nanny cat KID stan, an she plum
ked squar' Oh top O the catfish, an
they both went down together. l
didn't see nor hear nuthin' more o
nuther of 'em fer three minutes, an /
made up my mind te't the cat had
gone to jine her kitten, sure, wen 1
see ripple on the pond, an the mex
minute your Of cat kim to the top.
She swum ashore. an she had the cat
fish in tow. The catfish were dead
an pooty clawed up. The cat drug
the big fish out on shore, an l must
say tina the rest Surprised me. The
cat ripped the catfish open with one
slat of her claws, an out stepped the
last kitten! 1t was dazed leetle at
fust, but in a minute or two were ez
clipper ez ever an went trottin away
with its nanny ez if nuthin' hadn't
happened.
The Squire and Old Settler were
drinking to the memory of the five
kittens when a neigubor of the
'Squire's came in.
They're feelin' good over to your
house, Squire, said he. "They
found them five missin' kittens tucked
away in the woodshed, ez snug ez
mice in a nest"
"I'm durn glad to hear it !" ex.
claimed the Old Settler, grasping
the 'Squire's hand. "But who kin
We s'pose, b'gosh, th't them other yal-
Ter kittens b'longed to ED Mott,
in N. Y. Sun.