The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-14

the ground in Sky1s house The eagle
always had more meae than IL could eat,
and the cats Of the neighborhood had got Ia
the habit OF crawling into the big birds
house between the Stats and searching the
dirt floor for what the eagle had left. One
morning dr. Sgsrtwood saw q cat steal
ing toward the west side OF Sky's house,
and be ran around 10 the east side and peered
through the slats. The cat crept into
the house presently. and no sooner had 1t
begun 20 devour q chunk Of meat than the
eagle dropped silently and set its huge claws
10 the cats back ana made the bones crack.
The surprised cat sissed and spat and
yowled and tried 70 turn up on its back, but
the eagles talons had pierced its vitals. and
the cat had no show Whatever for self-ds-
Tense. SKY quickly tore the cat in tao, ate
portion Of il. and feW 70 its perch on the
ash tree.
Within month Mr.. Swartwood had to
bury the remains Of several more cats that
he found IN the eagles house. When the
boys OF the hamlet had learned Of the
eagles cat-killiug habit, they captured
vagrant pussles and poked them between
the stats 20 see the eagle tear them TO pieces.
Some OF the families in Oakland Center
missed their pet cats, and publicly asserted
that It was shame for such cat destroyer
az Sky was To be kept in q civilized
community. Leester Warden, Mr.. Swart-
woods nearest neighbOr, owned a yellow
and white tomcat that the eagle hadn't
got chance at. The tOmcat weighed 1855
pounds, and Mr.. Wardeu's folks called him
Puck and thought a great deal of him.
One afternoon in October while MIR. War
den was helping Mr.. Swartwood pull car
rots in MIR. SWartwoods garden, Puck
craWled through the fence near 10y aud
trotted toward the eagles house. DIR.
Swartwood wanted Mr.. Warden to scare
PUCK away, saying that Sky would kill him
II be entered the eagles quarters. MIR.
Warden said he would risk the tomcat, and
when Puck crept between the Stats they
both ran to the house Just in time TO see the
eagle swoop down and settle its claws in the
tomcaps back. Puck kicked aud yowled,
but he eagle crushed the life out OF him
without rUthlnR feaih her, and Mr.. Warden
wished he had taken Mr. Swertwood's ad-
vice.
Last Monday Laton s. Robbins, a woods
man OF Bentley mountain, drove down to
Oakland Center with yearlinR wild cat in
box. The wild cat was able-boded,
healthy and weighed nineteen pounds, and
Robbins offered to bet s. that Mr.. Swart~
woods eagle couldn't lick it Mr.. SWart-
wood took the bet, and the wild cats box
vas placed in Sky's house near the stats.
Then they fastened the door, and in lew
minutes dozen villagers were peeping into
the eagles apartments. SKY was sitting on
the tree, and when the spectators were
ready Mr.. Robbins poked a stick between
the Stats, knocked pin out Of the wild cats
box and fluug up the lid
The wild cat bounded out and went to
tearing around the house and nosing against
the slats to find an outlet, and the eagle
glared ct it with its bill pointing downward.
When the wild cat had made four circuits
OF the building the eagle dived and fastened
its claws in the wild cats back. With a
scream that startled the onlookers, the wild
cat twisted its hind parts upward and began
TO make the eagles feathers fly with its
hind claws. The eagle tapped its wings
violently, as il it was trying TO lift the wild
cat Of the ground. and the wild cat strug-
gled till it broke loose and left bits
OF It's hide in the birds claws.
The spectators yelled, and the eagle |
bounced on the wild cats shoulders, but
didn't get a firm hold, and the wild cat |
turr ed on its back and tore a hole in the |
eagles breast SO quickly that no one saw ex-
actly how it was done. The wound mad |
dened the eagle. and it jumped on the wild |
cats back 30 tiercely that the wild cat ran |
screaming nround the tree. 1t then threw |
the eagle off aud turned on its bleeding |
back. and the eagle sprang at it and got |
rip from the wild cats claws that let its |
entrais ont. The eagle had received fatal |
stroke, and Robbins crowd shouted them |
selves hoarse over the victory. AS soon as |
the eagle was dead the wild cat climbed up
the tree aSd went to licking its wounds, and
while it wac doing so Robbins killed il with
a bullet.