Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-30
SUNDAY IN THE CITY.
q Beautiful Day, Scores of Wis.,
itors, But News Items
ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.
The Exciting Experience of a Pleasure
Party in the Forests of the Wind
in. Trinity-Passing Mention
of Many Things.
AN EXCITING CHASE.
3 Little Episode Witnessed in the Trinity
Forests.

Forests.
The forests which border the Trinity, in
the neighborhood of Fort Worth, were the
scene a few nights since, of adventures
which rivaled iE thrilling interest the ex-
plot of St George with the dragon. A
party of fifteen gentlemen, representing al
most as many different trades and profess
sions, sought the tangled depths of the
wilderness in quest of the deceitful "'pOs-
sum-" which was reported there to abound
in Large and paying quantities. This ex-
pectation proved indeed a snare and delu-
sion. To paraphrase Bill Nye's tributes to
the Chinaman, "E'or ways that are dark
and tricks that are vain, the 'possum is pc
culiarn
Not one was to be found, despite very
thorough Investigation, prosecuted to the
extent even of sending county official to
the top of a tall tree, much to the detriment
of his trousers. He was armed with the
proper authority, but he failed to apprehend
the fugitive.
At last, when hope, like the evening star,
shone with declining ray, and mutiny
seemed imminent, in the ranks of the vol
unteers, ''Zip'' freed for the fifth time.
THAT dog never lies" said his master with
confidence. II wouldn't believe him on
OATH" retorted some one in the shadow.
This animadversio on Zip was received
with sCorn and Indignation. Il vote of
confidence re-instated him in the public es
NATION and all fastened to the tree. 1t was
Immediately apparent that the hole at
which the dog Wis barking was very
amali-quite too small for poSSum to
enter. But, here again came in the dis
senting voice. The dog, like many other
patent appliances, was warranted and
rguldn't 90 wrong. The game was there.
Mr.. s., whose energy and courage were
worthy of better cause, produced long
cane, and thrust it up the hollow, with an
of 10
returns for his efforts. He got them. The
prosperous financial institution with which
ne is connected, stable as it is, would have
been Immediately wrecked if he had re-
entered il in he condition in which he
left that tree. Fumigation did much for
him, but it took time TO restore him fully.
The response OF that indignant animal to
cur unwelcome intrusion on his privacy is
described, in the graphic language Of one OF
the party, as a mixture OF bad eggs. Tried
onions and burnt powder This malodor-
Dus combination was too much for even
Texas fortitude. With wild, despairing
shrek every man fled for his life. No OBJ
stacle could stop that mad rush, and the air
was full of the sounds of cracking brush,
gud earnest maledictions showered on the
head OF that unhappy Zip.
\ dissolving view of NJ, as he disap-
peared in the far distance with the only
lantern, struck despair to the hearts Of that
routed and dismembered band. They reas-
sembled in time, sore and detected, and
might have been seen in the wee small
hours" congregated around Il campfire,
with the dog, and such of the party as were
unfit for company staked of IL the dis
lance TO air. At this writing all have re-
turned to the bosoms of their distracted
families, sadder and wiser men, and i'm
pressed with the belief that for yigOr and
energy and suddenness of attack the Texas
skunk is the peer of any noXious animal
known to natural history.