The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-25
hid LOST HER KITTENS,
And jerome NeT Cntuckilr Fell Under the
Mother Wildcats suspicion.


WELLsBoro. Pa. June 24.-Jerome Neir. who
lives near Goodhue Lake. in Steuben county.
\. Y. just over the State line. recently had an
exciting experience with wildcat. He was
passing along on an old road which runs near
the Jake and had reached piece OF woods.
when he was startled to see an animal almost
as big as coach dog spring from tree at the
roadside and aight on the ground q few feet
ahead OF him.
Wildcats. or wild animals OF any kind are
80 rare In that vicinity that Neff had never
seen q wildcat. or known OF ones ever having
been seen or heard bv any person thereabout.
But he knew from what he had read that here
was one. and very larGs one crouching in
the road in front OF him. In his reading Of
wildcats. Neff remembered that the books
said that the animal would under no circum-
stances pursue a man. and that 1t would only
show fight when cornered or wounded
This one was neither cornered nor
wounded. but 1t looked very much as If it would
not only show fight. but wanted to show it badly.
Its eyes gared flercely. and it's low growl
like sounded anything but a peaceful purr
Nef was unarmed. and he had no desire to
enter into any dispute with the wildcat for
right Of way. although he was very anxious to
reach tho point he had started for 1t
was plain that the books were wrong
about the fighting inclinatons of the wild
cat. but NeT thought they might DO right
about the animal indispostion to pursue a
man. SO he backed away. moving as fast as he
the hooks hadn't exactly hit it about that trait
OF the wildcat either. for this one crept along
permitting no Increase in the distance between
1t and the object Of its pursuit.
to the winds, turned On his heels and ran. Thss
wildcat gave two leaps after him. and would
have been upon him the next leap but Netf
and the wildcat rushed By. It stopped mo-.
and then up tree nS Ssa SsS
crunch crouehei down as though to spring.
the wildcat was in, and ran Tor dear life back
up the road in the direction he was, going
sSpPed ~ he ssas m beast un
tree to Tree N.r With r1Hpdty that soon 20 took i
All this time Nefr had been calling for help at
the top Of his lungs: 1t occurred to him that
lake. and he broke wildly f9r that spot, which
only ~ sadss N: 9rS h1ngh the
close to him when no reached tho lake that ho
d.d not n, stop but kept right on in .o the
ter take Ills chances With tie eat in the the
Estsr He ,s'onnsa and faced aSont The
Ike the contact Of Watsr and viii not enter it.
ara op this point NsI was delighted to ace
that the hooks seeiuou 10 Nv correct. AT any
rate. this wildcat paused on the shore. and
crouching there n moment. ran m "A tree and
kept watch from q convenient brunch.
NefI's cries attracted the attention of man
on the other side Of the lake, and Son made
him understand that II he had gun ho couldn't
do better thing than to get 1t ana row over to
over with it, His gun wasn't oHded for Wild
cat, but lie gave tho ono in the tree charge Of
duck shot. This was sufficient 10 change
turned with a yell. bounded back into the
woods and disappeared. The man with the
neY. but they saw no more OF the wildcat.
Where IT went or where it came from Is still
that the cat was undoubte lly u female. and
had been robbed OF her kittens. sho was out
looking for them, and. meeting Non. connected
him In some way with their disuppearRnca.
Hence her fierce and det erminsd aggressive
ness 40 unusuai with her kind.