The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1893-12-21

I1. oooo anu WIG glens of West
virginia for nearly half century.
mas In the course OF that time had "a
many adventures, escapes and hair.
breadth experiences as any native Of
thls section. says a correspondent of
the St Louis Republic.
A few days ago the deacon did a
very foolish thing. which he had
reason to regret, as he says. "in
short meter" The deacon was rid
Ing horseback, and as he was in the
act OF crossing narrow stream at
the foot OF Micajah mountain he saw
a couple OF catamount kittens play
ing on the sward OF the opposite
bank.
The little tailed, short-eared,
fluffy punches of fur looked so inno-
cent and pretty as they rolled and
tumbled over each other, cutting and
biting and chasing each other in
play, that Deacon Webster concluded
to capture them alive and take them
with him to Andy Wallaces, about
six or seven miles away. Dismount-
ing, he quickly slipped upon the kit.
tens, but before he could seize them
one shot into hollow log and the
other ran towards the woods Tho
deacon easily caught the latter,
which he carried back, but was Sc
verely scratched and bitten on the
hands before he could get it into his
saddlebags. The kitten which had
taken refuge in the hollow log stuck
like leech to it's sides, and it took
the reverend zoologist nearly an
hour of hard work to persuade it,
with a forked stick, TO come out
This one was consigned also to the
saddlebags along with a lot Of tracts,
hymn books and other religious
literature.
1t was growing late and the deacon
had six or seven miles to 60 through
the thick forest before he could
reach Wallace's-the nearest house
and before he had ridden half that
distance the sun began to disappear
behind the distant peaks. The dea-
con was riding along slowly in a
thoughtful mood, when shrill
scream behind and up the side Of the
mountain reminded him that it was
not only growing dusk, but that
there was also rapidly approaching
prospect of a fight, if not couple OF
them, with the pursuing parents of
the kidnapped kittens.
Dismounting, he cut heavy hick-
DRY stick, or cudgel, about three feet
in length, and had barely trimmed it
into shape whcn both catamounts
sprang into the narrow pathway q
few yards ahead. They had scented
the kittens and were making ready
to even up things with their abductor.
| One OF the atamounts-the male--a
| tremendous fellow, even for that neck
| of the woods, where catamounts grow
almost as largo as panthers, sprane
squarely for the deacon's throat, pu'
received blow IRON the hickory on
the back which laid him out tempo
rarily. Before the dominic could re-
cover his guard, the female, with g
scream, sprang and caught him with
its foreclaw5 and teeth by the
shoulder Of his Jacket, tearing the
Jacket into ribbons and leaving hall
dozen long and deep cuts ant
scratches on his shoulder and arm
Luckily the cat had partially missed
her calculation, as the dominic
swung about with the blow given thu
big male, brought his shoulder in
stead of his TIL oat whore her claws
had struck, or it would have gon
worse with him. Even as it was, tn
wounds were terribly painful ant
they mado tho dominic utter q few
words which he candidly admitted
afterward were rather unorthodox.
BY this time the old male had re
gained his feet, and then both cats
prepared to spring at once. Seein
that affairs were getting serious, tn
deacon backed up against tree an
awaited the onslaught lie dldn'
have to wait long as the male
snarling and splitting with rage
made spring at his throat, Will
the female was creeping oil to on
side as if to take him in the flank
This fact doubtless saved the deacon
as it gave him time to receive tn
biggest one, which he skillfully di
by jumping to his right and strikin
with his cudgel as the cat lande
, against the tree. The blow knocke
the brute senseless. The female juf
at that moment made a flying lea]
:. but another rapid movement cause
her to miss and also to strike tn
! base OF the tree in front of whic
: the deacon had stood. Before tn
Z cat could recover the now thorough
r " mad preacher gave it one GOO
e blow on the ribs, but l
slipped and fell full lengt
by the side of the cat, whio
seized one of his legs with teeth an
: claws and began to rake his cloth'
into ribbons. Deacon Webster cou
= not pull or kick himself loose, ar
they rolled and tumbled. the deace
kicking and striking with his clu
: while the cat was rapidly strippi-
: him of clothes and hide with
. long, sharp claws and teeth. Luc
!. ilv the parson was fortunate enoue
:. "a strike the animal blow aero
/ the back with the hickory, whi'
. completely disabled it. As soon
. : the deacon could pull himself
!. gether he ran to tho male, which W
H. again getting on its feet, and he d
: not cease mauling it until he h
I. broken half the bones in its body.