The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-19
his LIFE SAVED BY a CAT.
The Lively Experience OF a Carpenter
on Montana Reservation.

on a Montana Reservation.
From the San Francisco CdA
Eyes, sir; it saved my life, and Astor's
wealth could not purchase it. would part
with everything 1 possess first and starve
afterward." The speaker was Jacob Myers,
a young carpenter, and the unpurohasable
"it" an ordinary looking tomcat, with
three dark lateral stripes extending from
shoulder TO flank on each of it's sides. 'You
see, sir" continued the speaker
picking the cat ND in his arm,
and strOking It's fur with his
hand while the monster began gentle purr
ana rubbed his whi5kers against It's owners
arm, less than six months ago it saved me
from horrible death. You want TO know
how 1t happeneda Twas this way: / was
building houses for the ILdian department
on the Crow reservation in Montana. 1 was
working convenient to the Big Horn river
and had to sleep in an old shack built on
the outskirts OF a little copse. In which
there was dense undergro WITH of willow,
rose bush aud wild currants, which the In
dams said contained swarms of rattlesuakes.
Until then had not seen any OF the reptiles,
but had heard the noise of their rattle
many time. | had a half breed Indian
helping me who owned the cat. One after
noon last July he went TO the river to get a
drink. Ten minutes afterward l heard him
gave terrific 1ell, and few minutes
after ne come running toward me squeezing
the thumb of his right hand, while his cop
per-colored features had assumed a cadaver-
GUS hue. He had been bitten by rattle
snake. tied handkerchief around bis
arm, while an old Indian sucked the wound &.
Despite the primitive rem eoles OF the 'medi-
cine men and the medical aid OF the doctor
from the agency, who was sent for, the
man died the next day, suffering intense
49, Id
nre 70 the corpse, and forming circle
around 1t they killed a number OF snakes
that were attempting to escape from toe
fire.
That night was thinking over the fate
OF my late companion before going to sleeo,
while the cat purred pleasantly upon my
shoulder. had ABOUT another weeks work
TO do there, and l fervently wished myself
through with the job. I went to sleep con-
solIng myself with the thought that all of
the suakeS in that neighborhood had been
exterminated. Being very tired slept until
late next day, AID when | opened my ewes
the sight that met my gaze almost paralyzed
me with terror. Coiled on my bosom, it's
head erect and ready to strike aud its
large eyes sciutillating with rage, was
large rattesnake. l was too hor-
rihed to move and to add to my dread l
could hear the rattles of another reptile
under my bed. | do not know the exact
time had been Watching that snake after
awoke. 1t might have been fifteen seconds,
but it seemed to me lifetime The first thing
l knew l saw the cats paw descend upon
the snakes head like a stroke OF lightning,
and the next moment the squirming, Shiny
thing was flung upon the floor. With q
bound jumped up in the bed, and grasping
heavy stick that stood convenient,
/ smashed the reptiles head into
pulp. The other snake then showed
fight, but it was dispatched as quickly as its
mate. After making sure that there was no
other snake Ia the hut ! picked up the cat,
and to my joy found 1t unframed. meas
ured the reptile from which the cat 80 timely
rescued me and found it to be feet inches
long, having 1877 scutA on the body and its
tail having thirteen rattlss Tho other
snake was not 80 large. The tire in the
copse had driven the reptiles into the shack,
and we're it not for the cat would have
met the fate OF the half~breed Indian. No,
sir. money cannot buy this oae"