Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-11-24
PeDIoReEo CATS AND DOGS.
siamese Animals with Strange PeeulIari-
ties-FeIlne Fight with a boa.

slamese Animals with Strange PeeuiIari-
ties-Feilne Fight with a boa.
United States Minister Boyd was
recently home on leave OF absence
from Bangkok. "Thc American lega-
ton at Siam was composed OF very
curious members" said he 10 n San
Francisco Examiner man as he stroked
the tawny coat Of his three hundred
dollar pair Siamesc cats In the Occi-
dental basement. "You sec the gov
eminent makes me no allowance for n
corps Of secretaries and under digni-
tarics like the tony missions receive,
and had 10 force little style with the
best native material on hand. So
drafted into the service Of Uncle Sam
an assortment Of cheap but sagacious
assistants, who helped 10 furnish
dignity 10 the establishment without
any severe strain on It's cXchcqucr. You
can do this sort Of thing readily in
Siam, where the frccst sociability
prevails between the people and the
gifted mcnagcric that inhabits the
island. For watchdog, in case !
wanted 20 leave the house for awhile,
had an intellectual little dog from the
kings kennel. lie comes OF family
trained for untold generations TO play
this role, and when placed on sentinel
duty hc could be fully trusted, night or
day, TO cover his charge with entire
success. Nobody but myself or wife
could approach my desk or anything
that he was left TO guard without hav-
ing severe attack Of remorse. Then
came marvellous pair of cats. They,
too, came of lofty pedigree and are ex-
trcmcly rare, but their most practical
value in Siam comes from their
mercilcss warfare on snakes. Bangkok
Is "A crowded capital, u sort OF Venice,
largely built over the water
1.-THE entire country back Of II Is in
Tested with enormous bons, from fifteen
20 twenty-five feet In length. When
their country board gets unpalatable
these monsters stroll down into the
bangkok in search Of supplies. Their
pet dainties are pigs, chickens, geese
and cats. No, their bite is not venom
GUS, but they do swift ana deadly ex-
cution with their giant coils. Instinc-
lively, therefore, the cat recognizes his
arch enemy, but you don't know what
fcrocious prize Fight is until you can
seen one of these small, tawny felines
make an unerring spring and fasten
himself to the back Of the boa's neck.
To this vulnerable point he holds like
grim death, scratching meanwhile with
the widest tigcr-lilic fury, till the huge
monster throws up the sponge They
are gentle and good naturcd, these am
ber-cycd beauties, until Mr.. Boa comes
around when they suddenly develop
the fcrocity Of ten devils. II was n
reptile seventeen feet long that one Of
this Fighting species laid ont In my lcga-
ton yard one day. Ion must under.
stand that Siam is an outdoor and open
window cline, and thi, lead, 10 socia.
| bility on very demYrrati, scale You
never can tell the missed character Of
angels four footed asi otherwise, you
are liable to entertain nj night. For
instance, we had pair Of baby sun
bears, gentle as Kittens, ON the legation
pay roll in some position of honor
They passed the day in the banyan
trees and dropped down about mid
| night to call ON their friends. We
| found them under our ted one morning,
and then Mrs Boyd thought. the hour
had arrived to draw the line on beasts
We had to dismiss our pelican, too, in
disgrace, in spite Of the dignity he main.
| tanned ON the front porch FOR the royal
dog made open war on his tail feathers
until he rcsembled sliirtlcss ballet
! Uirl "