Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-17

1he Nate appeared IN the Alders.
beneath the surface and hold it there long
enough.to drown it, but the cat was too
active and supple, and about all succeeded
in doing was to lessen the quantity of my
clothing and add to the slashings in nv
flesh. I had not been struggling with the
wildcat a minute, perhaps, in that close,
dark passage, where the water was fully six
feet deep. when saw the two fiery eyes of
its mate appear in the alders, where he had
thrust his head through, on the opposite
side.
Resolved on Desperate Tactics.
'That wildcat, though, hesitated to take
to the water, even to help his mate, but
didn't know how long he would be of that
mind, and consequently saw the importance
of getting the best of one fierce contestant
before another Joined in the fight. 1 re-
would be decisive if successful Watching
my opportunity, seized the wildcat with
both hands by the throat, and, holding it at
arms length, dove for the bottom, taking
the wildcat with me. My breath was short
owing to the long and hard struggle in the
water, but 1 had good lungs. put all my
strength in that clutch on the wildcats
throat. The cat struggled desperately, but
at about the time found I must return to
the surface, it gave one tremendous kick,
and hung heavy and motionless in my
hands knew it was dead, and dropped
the carcass and rose to the surface, with
just about strength enough left to grab an
alder bush and hold myself up.
"If that wildcats mate had tackled me
then he would have, found an easy victim,
for could have made no defense. He was
plunging and yelling about in the thicket,
evidently puzzled over the disappearance
Of his mate and myself Pretty soon I
heard him tearing back toward the spot
where he had thrust his heal through the
alders and glared at me, and could feel my
blood turn cold. 1t was all 1 could do to
hold fast to the alder. He reached the
spot, pushed his head and half his body
beyond the edge of the bushes, and his eyes
almost lit up the place, they blazed so when
they fell on me. 1 shut my eyes, for be-
lieved the beast would be at my throat the
next second. I could feel those flaming
eyes fixed on me, and the suspense was ter
rible. Suddenly the wildcat raised yell
that would have been frightful enough
heard IN the open woods, but which in the
close confines of that wafer tunnel was
simply indescribably terrible; and il, while
the yell was still ringing in my ears,
hadn't heard the wildcat turn and go crash
ing away through the thicket, would
surely have dropped limp and hfeless, and
gone down without struggle.
Better Luck the Next Time.
''But with the retreat of the wildcat my
strength gradually returned, and after
while was able to make my way back
through the aIders at the head of the dark
narrow channel and out into the open pool.
My upturned boat was lodged against the
alders I pushed it to the deer opening,
righted it, aud with long pole, poled it
back to the starting place and started for
home. My fish and tackle were lost. AL
though the gashes and scratches on my
hands and arms were numerous, they were
not as serious as they seemed, and in .
week or so was able to repeat my fishing
trip, much to my great enjoyment
81 also spent an evening with q jack and
a rifle at that deer opening, and got fat
and juicy buck and doe. L believe, also,
that the big wildcat I tumbled from that
hemlock branch just at dusk that same
evening was the mate of the wildcat I
drowned in the alder tunnel, and the one
that came within second of soaring me to |
death. He was lurking there, as his mate |
had been have no doubt, with the hope of |
springing on fawn that might come down |
% the creek at that watering place"
ED. MOTT.