Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-01-24

The young dog was then brought IN.
When the rats saw the dog, which was
held in the arms OF its owner, struggling
to get free, thy ran to one corner and
ranged thems lives in two irregular rows
diagOnally across the corner. They
stood up and uttered cries of fear and
anger. The dog sprang to the floor and
rushed at the rats. He caught one be
tween his Jaws, but the others fastened
themselves upon his body, hanging from
his ears, his tail and back. The pain
caused by the sharp teeth of the rats
made the dog weaken. He whlned and
ran to Penney, who plucked the rats
from the brute as if he were gathering
blackberries The rodents resumed
their position in the corner. The young
dog was put outside the door and the
experienced Kit was brought in. She
did not lush heedIesslY at the rats as the
young dog had done, bat when she had
got to within three feet Of the rodents
she stood still and waited.
A big rat in the front row, who evi-
IDENTIFY acted in the capa city Of captain
of the company, accepted the dogs i'm
piled challenge and sprang at the ter
EeF. Kit was prepared for him. One
snap of her teeth and the captain was
dead.
In the meantime the other rats had
fastened their teeth in Kits sleek hide.
But it was of no use. She stood still
and picked them from her body one by
one. And when they were all lying
around her upon the floor whenever one
showed signs Of life by the movement of
a leg or the twitching of a muscle Kit
walked around over the field of battle
and gave them an extra nip to quiet
them.
The dead rats were gathered up and
put into the canvas lag. Then Occuned
a scene of intense interest. 1t was a
fight between a rat and a ferret.
While Kit was killing the rats, the big
fellow in Penney's pocket had chewed
the string which tied its legs together,
craWled out and jumped to the floor.
Before Kit could catch it she was told
to lie down by Penney, and then she
was ordered to go out Of the room.
A piece of coarse sacking was then
thrown down in the middle Of the room
The rat in the meanwhile was making
an examination of the room Just as the
others had done. After smelling at al
most every inch of the base board, the
rat gave up the search and hid itself I'M
der the sacking. Its movements could
be traced by the mound like a mOle's
track in the ga cking, until it rested
quietly in one corner Of the bag.
The ferret was then let loose and it
took up the trail just where the rat had
alighted on the floor and followed ex-
actly in the fugitive's foot tops. Wher-
ever the rat had stopped to examine a
crack the ferret stopped. Every inch Of
floor traverse1 by the rat was gone over
by the ferret until it reached the bag.
A shrill scream of terror and anger in
r [I,L I, p I,~,y5
The rat darted out of the bag and be-
gan a wild fight around the room. Re
lentlessly upon its trail came the ferret,
never increasing its speed, bu5 with
slow movement Of the head from side to
8 de which was fascinating in its sug-
gest;Ons of subtlety and deadly intent.
The circuit of the room must have been
made twenty five times before the rat
showed any signs of weakness. Then
its pace began slowly to slacken.
The trag dy was nearing its climax.
The rat began to chatter as if smitten by
an icy wind It took refuge in the cor
ner where it's comrades had fallen, with
its back to the wall. Standing upright,
with dropping paws, it uttered a CRY so
fTaught with terror that it sounded al
most human. 1t was its death cry. The
animal instinctively knew that its time
had come.
The ferret kept on the trail around
the room. The rat recovered from its
terror and jumped up to the window
ledge and sat sill. The ferret lest the
trail and went snufing around with its
nose in the air. The rat had another
paroxysm, and limping from the window
ledge ran to the corner and up a stout,
rough cane standing there. Here the
ferret found its prey. and it stood on the
floor looking upward at the lat. The
two animals gazed at each other until
the rat could stand it nolonger. Utter
ing another scream, it sprang at the fer
ret. The latter animal kept its fore feet
upon the cane, turned its head aside to
avoid the shock, and, as the rat shot by,
fastened its teeth in its victims neck,
The movement was almost as rapid as
light. The force of the rats descent
carried both animals six feet over the
floor. The ferret threw one fOre-leg
over the rats back, released the hold
first secured and buried its teeth in the
centre Of the rats neck, crushing the
backbone, and the hunt was over
New York Sun.