Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1890-01-16


the men standing in the middle OF the
room and tried to climb up their trous-
ers legs.
The young dog was then brought in.
When the lats saw the deg, which was
held in the arms OF its owner, struggling
to get free, they ran 10 one corner and
ranged themselves in two irregular rows
diagonally acro's 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 BIZ the sharp teeth of the rats
made the dog weaken. He whined and
ran to Penney, who plucked the rats
| from the brute as il lie were gathering
blackbalries. The rodents resumed
their position in the conner. The young
dog was put outside the door and the
experienced Kit was brought in. She
did not lush heedlessly at the rats as the
| young dog had done, but when she had
got to within three feet of the rodents
she stood still and waited.
| A big rat in the front row, who evil
IDENTIFY acted in the capacity of captain
of the company, accspted the dogs inn
piled challenge and sprang at the ter
rier. Kit was prepared for him. One
snap of her teeth and the captain was
dead.
. Iii 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
oil 1rfv
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 occurred
a scene of intense interest. It was
fight between lat and 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 togo 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
a . 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. lis movements could
be traced by the mound like mole's
track in the sacking, 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 hid
alighted on the floor and followed ex-
actly in the fugitive's foot teps. Wher-
ever the rat had stopped to examine a
crack the ferret stopped. Every inch of
floor traversel b.; the rat was gone over
by the ferret until it reached the bag.
shrill scream of terror and anger in
dicated that the rat had been found.
The rat darted out of the bag and be.
gan wild flight around the room. Re-
lentlessly upon its trail came the ferret,
never increasing its speed, but with
slow movement of the head from side to
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 tragedy was nearing it's climax.
The rat began to chatter rs if smitten by
an icy wind. 1t took refuge in the COR
ner where its comrades had fallen, with
its lack 10 the wall Standing upright,
with dropping paws, it uttered cry SO
fraught 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 10 the window
ledge and sat sill The ferret lest the
trail and went shutting around with its
nose in the air. The rat had another
pa,oxysm, and limping from the window
ledge ran to the corner and up stout,
rough clne standing there. Heie the
ferret found it's prey. and it stood ON the
floor looking upward at the rat. The
two animals gazed at each other until
the rat could stand it nolonger. Utter
ing another scream, it sprang Mt the fer
ret. The latter animal kept its fore feet
upon the cane, turned it's head aside to :
avoid the shock, and, as the rat shot by,
fastened its teeth in it's victims neck.
The movement was almost as rapid as
light. The force of the rats deseepkps
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.