The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-01-20
HUMANITARIAN IN NLNNLNNN DNN NNNNNNNNAlIN NNNNNNM

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side 4 large rock formation directly I'M
der d juniper pine. whose branches
forkcd 80 low that ! had 70 stoop 10 get
under the tree. ! had Just pushed the
berry-iaden branches inside with my
bowed shoulders. add was reaching for
the torn carcass OF ting bird. when ]
heard a scream and = growL. and felt
myself struck on the back Of the neck
By n weight that simply knocked me
endwayH fell on my face, with my
ose serving as q drill for the various
quartz formations on the section and
! lay where l fell for some little time
ut least. for the weight still tarried
with me. II fastened itself 70 my
left shoulder, and there IL staid for
soma seconds after ! had fallen As
soon as ! could withdraw my nose and
check bones from the rock turned my
head "a sea where ! was and what had
struck me. When | did, ] discovered
that ] was mingled 70 q great extent
with . Foreground wildcat, and that ]
WAS at the bottom Of the mixture. The
animal had fastaped his teeth In my
left shoulder Just at the time It had
sprung upon me, and was nov trying TO
make It's jaws meet on my collarbonc.
One foot. with several batteries Of
claws, was caressing the scalp on the
back part Of my head, and the other
was toying with my whiskcrs- I had
no weapon, not even n knife, for ! had
left that In my saddle pockets, and my
revolver wa likewise precisely where
II wasn't wanted. / had nothing what
ever on my person except o lead PEN
Gil, some pieces Of atring and . small
bottle Of aqua ammonia; the latter I
always carried 70 be used as q sover-
cign remedy for snake bites, scorpion
and centipedc stings. etc, 70 which q
prospector In those ATTITUDES Is always
exposed. The little vial had more than
once saved me from serious discomfort,
not 70 say death. and somehow, with
that gouging. chewing and scratching
load Of ~intensihed deyiltry on my neck.
thought Of that insignificant flask.
Reaching for my coat pocket ! pro-
cured II, and uncorking II for my
hands were comparatively free, ]
stretched out my right arm and poured
tho contents down tho face OF the cat
and into its eyes.
Tho aery, pungent liquid did It's Office
we'll, for the monster, with q villainous
screech, dropped his hold and began
to roll around upon the ground In all
the agony TO be gotten ont Of q four
ounce vial Of strong ammonia improp-
erly applied. ! staggered TO my feet
reached my rife, and while his catship
was blindiy e~ndeavoring to find out the
exact locality ! gave him the benefit Of
all the pumps ! could get out. of . Win
chester In good working order. He
measured something over four feet
from tip 70 tip, and was q lusty speci-
men Of his kind. He had climbed the
oak, bitten on the turkeys neck. and
dragged it out Of sight before begin
ming his meal He had evidently seen
mo coming, and. wishing TO hide, en-
sconsed himself in the branches of the
juniper nea his prize. My close prox-
Unity and the instinct that | was going
to deprive him Of his lately acquired
ration In all probability induced him
to the attack.
1t Il unnecessary to state that i
didn't furnish much game for the out
at during the next two weeks, for
when l came out Of that discussion I
was, as Sally Squeers would shy, 80
mass Of bruises" and It required some
Of Johnson's skill In field surgery to
fix me up. In fact when ! rode into
camp my .'pard," who was already
there with : fresh supply Of venison,
failed To- recognize me because of my
49, 49, - AfA-A - 1t