Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-05-11
CAR AND CANARY.
An Awful Yarn Spun by nm ImaginA five
Menauerie K0eucr.

| An Awful Yarn Spun by nm Imaginative
1Ienagerie Keeper.
So many stories have been told re
Gently Of battles between tigers anc
snakes, wildcats and elephants, eagles
and alligators and Goldfish and wild
hogs, that the following accurate de
scription of an encounter between 9
tom-cat and canary bird can not fail
to be interesting:
The tom-cat and the canary were the
property of an animal dealer on the
west side who has long had reputa-
ton for veracity. The canary was noted
for its fierceness. It is female bird,
about three years old, with bright yell
low feathering. The tom-cat is quite
white. with four legs. and weighs-or
rather weighed-about twelve pounds.
During the morning it was noticed
that the canary seemed unusually saw
age. She paced up and down her cage
in a great rage, crashing her teeth and
glaring at the poor cat. toward whom
it turned out she had developed a fierce
antipathy.
The keeper secured the door Of the
cage, as he thought, firmly, but during
a paroxysm of temper the canary
smashed the fastening and was free.
What moment! The unfortunate
tom-cat gave cry of terror and looked
around for some means OF escape, but
there was none, the door of the room in
which the carnivorous animals were
kept being locked. The proprietor OF
the menagerie could do nothing. Spell
bound, he watched the uneven contest,
fearing all the time that the fury OF
the canary bird would be expended on
himself.
With piteous moan the wretched
tom-cat felt the talons of the canary
bird sink into his head. He raised him.
self up and tried to fight her off, but
the bird parried his every blow and
fercely pecked at his eyes.
Once the cat seized the bird in his
paw, but she got away from him in
moment, with the loss of only one
feather. She returned to the charge
and rendered one of the cats eyes blind
with her sharp bill.
The fight had lasted five minutes
and the cat had all the worst of it. He
was painting, and every now and then
rolled over exhausted, uttering pitiful
CIlCS. 4uOuSu uc was Vd1ucu dG OHc
hundred dollars, the keeper of the
menagerie, who was armed with
sword and shotgun, did not dare to
interfere to save him. The blood of the
canary was up and she meant to slay
the cat.
1t was not long before the awful
work was accomplished. The bird, by
an adroit movement common to cana
ries when in conflict with quadrupeds,
rendered the poor Thomas cat blind.
Then at her leisure, with a series of
fierce jabs, she penetrated his brain,
and he rolled over completely dead.
The boss was trembling for his own
safety, but it now seemed that the saw
age instincts of the canary had been
satisfied, for with a jaunty air she re-
gained her cage and began to MARBLE a |
song of victory.
It meant life or death to shut the
door, but the brave boss crept courage
ously up to the cage and succeeded in |
this feat. Then he ran
out into the street and tainted. The
nerve pressure had been too great for
him.
Since then the canary's cage has been
till now it is stronger
than safe, and the lions and tigers are
more restfu1, approaching their in
creased safety. But there will not be |
much real peace of mind in that men, |
agerie until the canary bird has been /
disposed of for good.-N. Y. Herald.