The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-08-18

vines extend from tree to tree, some Of
them in continuous stretch for fifty
feet or more. 1t took Joe Crane no
longer than two minutes to think out .
plan for securing the wildcat and all
that it implied He traced out vine
that had thrown itself through the
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 tendrfls
that held it, and at last had II free,
long, stron. natural rope, fully ffty
feet in length. The two boys tested its
strength by both putting their weight
on It at once, and hanging from 1t It
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 IL.
His intention was TO fasten the Wild
cats carcass to the vine and haul Il up.
But while Sam was waiting for the
signal to pull away he heard Joe shout
ing something else.
"Hello. Saml' Joe's voice came up
from the Rut Drop down here with
the g1nsi Tha's hole full q more
wildcatsr''
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 Joe's
grapevine and Joined Joe In the But
Look In yonderr' said Joe, pointing
to big hole In the rocks Sam looked.
and saw 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 feller layin' over here
Is tootems two is four, maxim twelve,
'cordin' ia Duboll You take the two
balls on the nigh side, Sam, an I'll
take the two on the of side. When l
say three, let her bim!'
It seemed good while to Sam before
Joe said three, but when the word
came he 'let her bim," according to d.
rections. Both guns went off at once,
| and the four balls of fire disappeared,
but something else came In sight Two
wildcats bounded out of the hole IN 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
be surprised they found themselves
| mixed up on the rocky bottom Of the
DEVILS Rut with wildcats, grapevines,
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 on their bodies have
healed up and disappeared
Matthew T~a nor Cop, oov, roooo1 i,,ot
how they managed to bring the end
about, but the appearance Of the two
wildcats heads conveyed the impress
sion that 1t was accomplished princi-
| pally by the butts of guns. At any
rate, when the rush and whirl and yell
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 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 lcctle
| fuller O. wildcat than I calkilnted on.
but LncIn ldSJ ones makes UOOteInS TOUR
| is eight moro, Sam"
Sam said he "know'd it," but made
| the apt suggestion that they had better
| be 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 grapevines and limped home
| ward.
II happened that not long after Sam
Pomeroy had abandoned operations in
the potato field and joined Joe Crane in
the wildcat hunt, his father strolled
| over to the field to see 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 reconnoitering he. at
lastcame upon Sam and Joe as they were
making the best time they could home
ward, tattered and disabled
"Jist whit ben 'spectin'r' eS-
claimed Farmer Pomeroy. That gun
has gone and busted on you at last
Sarves you right. an I'll give yer hide
tannin' when I git ye home"
Don't know about that, pap" said
Sam you won't and much hide left
on me to tan, I'm thinkin'."
Then the boys told the wildcat story.
md Farmer Pomeroy helped them home
on the double quick, turned them over
to their mothers, sent for the doctor,
and he and Joe's fsther went 10 the
DEVILS Rut and brought in the wildcats
and their gums. 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 thcn
comes the grass and the rye. Them
Wildcats seen me through the plantin
all right only wisht that me an Joe