The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-04-18

IL Il q great place for wild grapes
nround and about the DEVILS Ruk The
vines extend from tree 10 tree, some Of
them In continuous stretch for City
feet or moro II took Joe Crane no
longer than two minutes 70 think out n
plan for securing tho wildcat and ali
that Il implied he traced ont vine
that had thrown itself through the
tFecs for flfteen or twenty yards from
is parent cane He climbed the trcea
In succession, cutting the vine loose
from the branch vines and tendrils
that held Il. and at last had Il free.
long. strons natural rope, fully fifty
feet In length The two boys tested It's
strength by both putting their weight
on II Mt once, and hanging from IT H.
held stanch and safe 70 It's native tree.
Joe lowered the vine TO the bottom Of
the DEVILS Rut, and went down into
the rnvine, hand over hand upon IL
His intention was 10 fasfen the Wild
cats carcass TO the vine and haul Il mp.
Bnt while Sam was waiting for the
signal 10 pull away he heard Joe shout
ing something else.
"IIello, Sami" Joe's voice came up
from the Rut drop down here with
the gunsl Tha's . hole full o more
wildcatsl"
Sam couldn't drop down with the
guns, 30 he tied them 70 a long grape
| vine and lowered them TO the bottom.
Then he dropped himself down Joe's
grapevine and joined Joe in the Rut.
look In yonderi. said Joe, pointing
10 n big hole In the rocks Sam looked.
and saw four balls Of fire, all In d row.
Each pair o. them balls D. FIRE, i" said
Joe, sis two dollars fer bounty an two
dollars fer hide. That's tootems four
Is eight, and this Teller lnyin' over here
Ia tootcms two is four, maxim twelve,
'cordin' Ia DubolL You take the two
balls on the nigh side, Sam, an Ill
take the two ON the of side. When
say three, let her bim"
1t seemed good while 10 Sam before
Joe said three, but when tho word
came he ''let her bim," according to di-
rections. Both guns went of ut once,
and the four balls Of FIRE disappeared,
but something else came in sight Two
wildcats bounded ont 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 IL on their minds will be
fresh and vivid long after the impress
sions II made on their bodies have
healed up and disappeared
Neither Joe nor Sam can recall just
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
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 tho marks OF wildcats
claw imprinted on II. 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, twas leetle
fuller o. wildcat than l calkilated on.
But them last ones makes tootems four
Is eight more, 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
I 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 as they were
making the best time they could home
| ward, tattered and disabled
''Jist what ben 'spectin'p' ex-
claimed Farmer Pomeroy. THAT gun
has gone and busted on you at lasti
Sarves you right. an I'll give yer hide
q tannin' when ! git ye 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 win 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 only wisht that me an Joe
could find another hole full O. more Of
'em. That'd help me over haydn an
/ harvest, too. - Ed Mott, In N. Y. Sun.
4 Famous Carriage