The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-11
A GRBAT CArAMoUNr HUNT.
Niger Bend Freed of Its Wild Cat
in Bold and Clever Fashion.

Bend, about twelve miles below-a hamlet
OF something like 200 souls-has been over
run with an army of wild cats this fall.
Pigs. chickens. lambs and small stock gen.
orally had been killed and carried Off, until
there was scarcely a living specimen left.
and the colored population (they are all
negroes, regular ter-heel darkeys, at the
Bend) had become desperate, and of course,
sent up here for Jack Fell, the Simpson
Creek prodigy Of ingenuity, to help them
out.
The outrage which brought the climax
was perpetrated a few nights since, when
Deacon Daniel Webster of the colored
church, aroused from a placid sleep of in
nocence by a noise Of fiuttering wings and
a great squalling of chickens from under
his bed, threw off the "kiversn and sprang
out TO investigate the cause. A wild cat
had entered the window and was helping
himself to a basketful Of chickens, which
the deacon had placed under the bed for
No. lis struck something soft
and furry instead of the floor,
and in less than two minutes he set up a
yell which aroused the village from town
hall to subdistriot. Ten minutes later,
when the members of the parish forced an
entrance. they found the deacon lying
across the bed tattooed from brachial plexus
laid on in profusion, without regard to
geometrical proprieties, and the deacon's
remarks were of an energetic and pointed
character, really shocking tothe ears Of his
listeners.
The outrage had gone too far, and it was
determined then and there to send for Boss
Jack Fell and eliminate the wild cat from
the natural history of the Blue Ridge noun
tains. The deacon himself was in no con-
dition, physically, TO join the procession of
avengers, but his best wishes and prayers
were sent out after them with spontaneity
and vim which left no room for question.
Jack Fell, Pole Dillum. and half a dozen
Simpson Checkers concluded to go to the
relief of the Benders, and in the evening of
the day following the last occurrence they
rode into the Bend accompanied by dozen
as good "ightin' dogs" as could be found in
that part of the state.
There could be no doubt of the truth Of
the stories told by the Benders Of the
voracity Of the wild cats, as there was
scarcely chicken left in the village, and
not single live lamb or pig could be found
in the township.
where do the cat'mounte have their
headquarters" asked Jack Fell OF a repre-
sentative Bender
"At Debil's Hole; up dar beneaf the vidin'
rI'9e, Boss Jack" replied the Bender.
"Dey's got hole en- er mountin. rite in er
cliff of rocks, an dey's bout 'lebea hun'ed
viii cats in dat hole.n
Jack.
"Smoke 'em out! We uns hey tried an
tried, but all NV de smoke kums outer holes
an cracks in dem rocks. Smokin' don't do
no good"
"Well, then, why don't you lay for them
aud shoot 'em at nightl"
'Say look aheah, Boss Jack; seems els if
40, avrAI vuT1p fs,1f
no niger on dis yer branch whatll lay
'roun' mites to ketch viii cats. Deys got too
pow'rful much 'spect for deer hides. Why,
one OBJ dem viii cats jes' Leah t'af niggah's
hide ez scoop up chicken. Why, ies' look
at Deacon Webst'r. Dab he was rite in bed,
an one OBJ dem 'tankerous cat'mounts
jumped in his wInder an jes' tor'd his hide
into jiblets. We uns hez got ter git rid of
dem cat'mounts somehow or we'll jes' hab
TO move off dis yer creek"
"Well, show us the den, and we'll try our
hand at II, :" said Jack.
The den was found about half mile away
from the village, under the mountain, in a
big cliff OF rocks at place called Devils
Hole. The entrance was a narrow slit about
five or six feet long and not quite a foot in
hight, and apparently led into the heart Of
the mountain. The dogs shifted at the hole
and growled; but while their hair stood on
end and they showed every indication of
rage, not one of them could be induced to
enter the cave. The hole was too small TO
admit of the entrance OF a man, even if
there had been one among them fooIhardy
enough to try it in the face of the knowl
edge that there were probably dozen or
two of vicious cstamounts in the cave.
Jack Fell ordered the men to cut down
three or four long poles, and with these the
entrance was felt out. A few feet back OF
the entrance there seemed to be con-
siderable of a rise in the hight of
the opening, but how much could not be
ascertained by the long poles, owing to
the impossibility of turning them at an
angle in the confined space. But Jack Fell,
after he had tested the opening in every OIL
recGion, came to the conclusion that 1t was
much larger a few feet from the mouth of
the entrance How to remove the over
hanging or Uniting rock was the question;
but Ii was determined that it should be re-
moved. Finally, stick or two of dynamite
was procured from stonemason at the vii
lage, and this was placed several feet back
of the entrance aud a slow match set to it,
and the crowd of Benders who had collected
together with Fell and his companion, ran
around the point Of the hill and waited for
the explosion, which soon came. When they
ran back they found that the overhenging
rock had been torn from its position and
splintered, and just behind was an opening
which would easily admit two men walking
abreast.
Thought so" said Jack. "There's big
cave back there, an I'll bet every cat'mount
in ten mile is in that hole Firsg thing we
'uns hez got to do is to pile some brush in
that op'nin' an set it afre, to keep the var
mints In till we git ready TO clean 'em out"
This was soon done, and when the fire was
started everybody could see that If there
were any catamounts in the cavern they
would stay there as long as that fire burned
in the opening, for there's nothing wild
cat fears greater than red-hot coal.
snow, boys, this is my plan. | want you
Benders to git yer axes and knock out a
pile of pine knots. enough for dozen men.
Bring them all here and we'll fix up the
torches. Pole Dillum an Bill Weaver an
me will take double-barrel shotguns with
buckshot cartridges. Wen do the shootin'
while you fellers carry the torches. The
oat'mounts won't tack anybody with
torch, SO you needn't be afeared."
While the Benders were hunting up the
pine knots Jack and Pole and Weaver
cleaned their guns and got the cartridges
handy, and then sat down under tree and
ate lunch.
Half an hour later the Benders reap
peared with arms full of pine, which was
separated into good-sized torches. Eight
Benders received two torches each, one OF
which was lighted at the fire and the other
kept as an extra in case OF need.
When they entered the cave several
Benders were left on the GU side to keep the