The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-20

pan tor securing the wildcat and all
that it implied. He traced out vine
that had thrown itself through tic
trees for fifteen or twenty yards from
it's parent cane. He climbed the trees
in succession, cutting the vine loose
from the branch vines and tcndrils
that held il, and ut last had it free, n
long, stron:, natural rope, fully fifty
feet in length. The two boys tested its
strength by both putting their weigh;
on it ut once, and hanging from 1t. 1t
held stanch and safe to it's native tree.
Joe lowered the vine to the bottom of
the Devils Rut, and went down into
the ravine, hand over hand upon it.
His intention was TO fasten the wild
cats carcass to the vine and haul it ND.
But while Sam was waiting for the
signal to pull away lie heard Joe shout
ing something else.
"IlcllO, SAM ,Joe's voice came IN
from the Rut. drop down here with
the guns! Tha's hole full o. more
wildcats!"
Sam couldn't drop down with the
guns, SO he tied them to long grape
vine and lowered them to the bottom.
Then he dropped himself down Joc's
grapevine and joined Joe in the Rut
Look in yondcr!' said Joe, pointing
to II big hole in the rocks. Sam looked
and s;!w four balls of fire, all in row.
Each pair o them balls o fire." said
Joe. "is two dollars fer bounty an two
dollars fer hide. That's tootems four
is eight, and this Teller layin over here
is tootcms two is four, maxim twelve,
'corelin' tn Duboll. You take the two
I'm lie hn ,,,r1, cd
tukc the two OH the off side. When l
say three, let her bm!'
1t seemed good while to Sam before
doc said three, but when the word
came he 'lct her biin," according to di-
rections. Both guns went of ut once,
and the four balls of fire disappeared,
bvt something else came in sight Two
wildcats bounded out of the hole III the
rocks, over the bodies of the two Joe
and Sam had shot, and while the re-
port of the guns was still bowling
along the narrow passage in booming
echoes, and before the boys had time to
bo surprised they found themselves
mixed up on the rocky bottom of the
Devils Rut with wildcats, grapcvincs,
guns and stones in such way that the
impress of it on their minds will be
fresh and vivid long after the impress
sions it made Oh their bodies have
healed up and disappeared
Neither Joe nor Sam can recall lust
how they managed to bring the end
about, but the appearance of the two
wildcats heads conveyed the impress
sion that it was accomplished princi-
pally by the butts of guns. At any
hn I, a nd III 81 all
ing was all over the boys found them
selves sitting on the bottom of the Rut
without much clothing on to speak of.
and with scarcely Q. spot four inches
square from their shoulders down that
didn't have the marks of wildcats
claw imprinted on it. AS they sat
there wiping blood with such bits of
shirt and things as still hung to them
Joe was the first to break the silence
"That hole" said he, was a lectlc
fuller o wildcat than l calllilated on.
But them last ones makes tootcms four
is eight more, Sam"
Sam said he ''know'd it," but made
the apt suggcSt:on that they had better
Ike digging out of there and making for
home to get patched up. So they agreed
that they had done their share, and
would go home and send their paps
! back after the guns and the wildcats
They hauled themselves out of the Rut
by the grapcvincs and limped homo
ward.
1t happened that not long after Sam
/ Pomcroy had abandoned operations il.
the potato field and joined Joe Crane in
the wildcat hunt, his father strollcti
over to the field to sec how he was get
ting along. Finding the hoe there
alone, Farmer Pomeroy hurried home
to see what had become of Sam Not
finding Sam, but noticing that the gun
was gone, he started for the woods In
the course of his accommodating he at
last came upon Sam and Joe us they were
making the best time they could home
ward, battered and disabled
"Jist what l ben 'spectin'!" ex-
claimed Farmer Pomeroy. THAT gun
has gone and busted on you at last!
Sarves you right. an I'll give yer hide
u tannin' when I git we home"
Don't know about that. pap" said
Sam. You won't find much hide left
on me to tan, I'm thinkin'"
Then the boys told the wildcat story,
and Farmer Pomeroy helped them home
on the double quick, turned them over
to their mothers, sent for the doctor,
and he and Joe's father went to the
Devils Rut and brought in the wildcats
and their guns. After Doc. Barnes had
patched Joe and Sam up, he said:
"Potato planting will all be over,
Sam, when you get around again"
$50 s'pose," said Sam. But then
comes the grass and the rye. Them
wildcats seen me through the plantin'
all right. l only wisht that me an Joe
could find another hole full O. more of
| 'cm Thnt'6 holm mo oyar bor;n, /, ~,