Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-11-22
Strange Protectors of a Wo-
mans Home.
ALONE IN LOUISIANA SWAMPG
The Pluckiest Little Woman
In the State.
a wildcat Once Saved Her Baby From n
Strange Animal and Then the Cat
Brought Her Family to Reside at the
Woman's Island Home.
PhiladelphIa Times.

walked slowly toward a grove of oaks, |
in which there is a small white-washed |
cabin, where lives the pluckiest little |
woman in Louisiana. When | reached |
the gate and saw three as fine specimens
of wildcat as / ever saw IN the Zoo sit
ting in row on the steps, and cycling
me with q "come-in-if-you.d dare" ex-
preston, my bump of bravery became
almost fiat, but my determination bump
pulled up to my rescue, and, steadying
my voice, / called loudly. Mrs. Benson
Immediately appeared at the door, and
seeing my anxious face peering through
the fence, she fixed her gaze on the
animals, and pointing to the end of the
gallery, said firmly:
"March, boys; down, quiet" Then
turning TO me she said, with smile
"Llft the gate wee bit, it hangs heavy
In wet weather, and come right in.
Don't be afraid. They are harmless as
kittens when speak to them. Now take
this char, its the easiest in the house.
Here's fan, not very pretty, but gives
good wind. Won't you take off your
hat and cool your head while you're rest
ingP All, there are the babies. How
like young kittens they are, only more
shy. They play SO all day, but the
mother knows you're stranger, and
being suspicious, is too much concerned
about the safety OF her jealousy guarded
children to take part as she usually
does in their sport. See how she watches
you. Don't let it make you nervous.
She is only afraid, that's all. | am the
only one they know well, and they don't
care to see any one else here. like to
watch them playing, and you have no
hft ta0h a rp n
Queer taste? Well, don't know. Many
people think so, but it doesn't seem queer
to me. You see this is how it came
about, how l came to he jokingly called
4 THE Wildcat Farmer
"0ne day during the summer of 'SS
went down to Cypress Grove, as | had
been doing for several weeks, to take
4 my husbands dinner. When the weather
was favorable | carried our baby, and
then I'd stay and have long chat with
Sam, and take my time about getting
home. But when | thought il unwise
to take baby out, why I'd lock up the
house, hurry to the grove and back
again, being afraid to leave him alone
K too long. On the day IF which speak
Z the sun was terribly hol. with not u par
ticle of breeze. l didn't dare take him
out at that time of day, and | was
\ afraid to leave him IN u close room with
out any fresh air. | opened one Win
dow halfway and tied it so, kissed my
sleeping boy, locked the door, and has
tened on my way with Sans dinner.
My husband was in very poor health,
but that day was in such spirits that ii
cheered me greatly, and | came home
singing at the top of my voice.
"As | entered our gate such scream
as few hear during a lifetime rent the
Z air, followed in quick succession by
three others equally terrible. In one
q second | located the direction from
which the sound came, and then it was
n my turn to scream, but l couldn't.
had no voice to scream with. | had NJ
breath hardly. l was cold and para
lyzed from head to foot. In one cornei
Of the yard was the sight that nearl,
froze my blood. There was a strange
demonstrating animal with my baby
H the skirt of his dress was in his mouth
while the little fellow dangled in thu
air. In front of the animal was wild
cat. / had seen many of them sine
living so near the woods, but this one
4. WAS unusually large. Every time tn
animal would take q step forward Il
though he intended going off with til
lHIII DhDN, the Cav WOulu SllIG up dEdlno
him, lash his TAIL crook his neck-a Ger
tain fighting attitude of thelrs-and lool
wv as if he intended killing him that second
M And each time the animal screamed fear
fully. The cat invariably barred his way
N9 Why he did so don't know unless h
Hf was Jealous of his prize and determines
to share it. l could account for hi
S& actions in no other way. ! was certal
H they were going to fight over the baby
"Somethlng had to be done, and don
X quickly, or l would see my child tor
8 in two and eaten. The thought mad
as wild as were the animals, almost.
rushed in the house, grabbed the sho
gu i, and, trembling like a leaf an
Laying with every breath, fred throug
the window at the animal that had m
baby. My aim was unsteady and l onl
MANNED MIN. II mad the desired effec
4 though, for he limped off as rapidly
he could, the wildcat at full tilt aft
him, bouncing on him every secon
II biting and scratching him, and the bat
was dropped on the ground. In
moment the baby was safe in my arm
and | in fit of Mysteries. The tn
animals were just outside the yard al
fighting in way to make ones fie:
creep. Their cries became became fail
and then | did not hear them again.
Rugged our boy and trembled the re
of the day. My nerves were complete
shattered over the excitement. Eve
moment would draw my baby clos
and promise never to leave him agai
! And | never did.
"When Sam came home he examin
the trails. He knew those of the will
cat at once, but the others he had ney
eeen before. The feet were as long aga
as a cats, but he did not know just wi
animal it was, nor ever had an opporl
nifty of finding out, for the animal
not call again.
"The next morning, about 0 o'clot
what should l see walking around
the same wildcat as had saved the ba
81 the day before. He was very bloc
and, besides looking as if he had been
q terrific fight, appeared to be h
starved was not mistaken. / knew
was the same cat, and, while his int
tions might have been the same as thu
of the other animal, felt grateful
him for saving my child. But for his
peatedly barring the others way, VIII
prevented his getting out of the Vt
before came, both would have go
and we'd never have known the fate
pur babe. The thing looked so bad
sorry for him and tossed bone out
The window. He went for it and v
gone in minute, and the next morn
he came back for another bone, whic
rave him, with scraps from the kitch
"He came without fail every morn
lbout the same time, ate the sn