San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-08-23
A Stranger in Camp Tells OF an Ad'
venture Win a wildcat.

stranger In camp Tells or an Al
venture Win n wildcat
From Forest and Stream. Illustrated by
the Globe Democrat
The new arrival was q slim, wiry-
looking man, with a steslthy, catlike
tread, dressed in homespun, on his
head q cap made from the skin of
some wild animal, and beneath peer
ed a pair Of keen gray eyes. He was
rendered csmp-stOol and a cigar,
which he lighted at the campfire.
but to all our questions about the
locality of the game he gave evssive
and unsatisfs ctory answers.
We rendered our visitor the hospi-
tslity of the camp. and after he had
thawed out we succeeded in getting
him to relate the following incident
in his experience.
lone day some years ago I went to
one O. my neigh bors bout eight miles
of to help him build q log cabin Tor
the winter. AS 1t was late In the
sfternoo when 1 started back,
made q straight cut across the noun
tains toward TO cabin L call home. 1
allus carried my gun, no matter where
| went; and a. it was in the fall o.
the year thought I mout chance to
kill deer or turkey or two 'thout
goiD' out o. the way to get 'em. When
I was bout . mile iron, my cabin
heard flock o. turkeys going to roos t
In . grove o. pines on the side o. the
mountain, and bein' too dark to shoot
/ allowed I'd give 'em an early call in
the mornin' and have q turkey for
dinner. 80 / took round bout
course SO as not to scare 'em, eat q
late supper and went to bed.
1.-THE next mornin' afore day break
was on the ground and hid in an
openin' between some large powders
that closed q space on three sides,
but was open at the top, where q man
could stand comfor ia bic 'thout bein'
seen. 1t sat down at the mouth TO
the opening and waited for day bresk,
and laid my gun on the ground and
Listened till L heard the turkeys fly
down from the roOst; then / called
gently two or three times Twas q
little too soon, / reckon, for [ got not
answer. With. the second call came
two or three answers, al old gobbler
among the rest, could hear 'em
comm on the run, and was just
reach'n for my gun when 1 heard a
rapid breathin' or pantin' of some
animal behind me, like q dog does
when he's hot or tired, and, turn'n'
my head, 1 saw the biggest kind of
wild cat, with mouth wide open
and eyes lookin' like two full moons,
just in the act of jumpin' on my back
L sprung to my feet and throwed
my arms over my head, and gave a
yell that would have scarf a grizzly.
The cat went one way and I went
another. | got out o. my hidin' place
in hurry, and stoSd few minutes,
feelin' weak and trembIy like, and
went home feelin' like sheep-killIn'
dog:
"You see the cat was out lookin' for
breakfast, and hearIn' my call, crept
up the rocks behind me, expectin' to
get the pick o. the flock. / allow I'd
a soured on his stummick, for 1 still
had my knife, and I'd been sure to
tickle his ribs afore he got through
with me. That's one time 1 was
Illustrated"
"Did you get any turkeys"
Turkeys? No. I couldn't have
shot turkey if one had run up and
bit me. But / laid low for that cat
till got him, leas twise reckon got
him, though when 1 first seed him 1
didn't examine him very particular,
and he didn't stop long enougn for
me to cnt q swallow FORK in HIS ear
neither. so I'd know him agin. It's
allus been an unsettled pint in my
mind wifi was scart-the worse, the
cat or me-"