The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-29
LEVEL FULL OF FIGHT.
Cheetah's Battle With a Pair of
Big English Mastiffs.
Washington Evening Star.


Dore Lawton has spent some time in the
island of Ceylon. speaking OF cheetahs," he
said, II want to tell you story OF battle
between English mastiffs and thoroughbred
Ceylonese cheetah.
There is very general impression that the
cheetah and the royal Bengal tiger are just
about the same thing, but this isn't so. The
main difference in them is that the former is
rot so boodI hirsty as the latter. Right down
IN his heart he is not man.eater, but he can
digest that kind of meat when occasion re-
Quires. As rule. he will give the human BROTH
erhood wide berth. but If you corner him there
is no telling how hard he can fight. Sir him
up ana lie will make the fur fly IN a fast and
furious fashion. He has been known TO lie
IN wait along the mountain roads for human
prey, but these instances are rare. and his
mahivorous taste Is no very highly developed.
There aie many authentic statement recorded
Wnere cheetahs, at certain seasons OF The year,
nave appeared in the mountain villages, gen
orally seeking the fires which have been lighted
for cooking purposes on the hard earth floors
OF the rude huts. Then the popua ion migrate,
leaving the cheetah to his glory, and reuort at
the nelghbOring village that the animals are
working havoc among the hogs and humaua
On one occasion OF this sind CAPTAIN Baker,
the great oriental sportsman, made an nvesti-
cation OF the spoI, shot cheelah as ii stood
before the fireplace In hut, and made he dis
cOyety that the animal HAD sought the warmth
because OF peculiar disease of he Jaws and
teeth. On examining the mouth of the dead
cheetah be saw that the gums WIRE full of mag
gots, and these, when warmed by the fire,
would crawl far enough out OF the sockets of
the teeth TO be reached by the cheetah's claws
There was cUtfee planter who lived near
Randy, whose bungalow was in the mountains
and whose name was Dawson. He had num-
Der Of fine China pigs, which became the apple
of the cheetah'S eye. The feline tribesman
made nightly calls and the p0rkerS were borne
of one by one. AT einpts 10 shoot the intruder
failed. Two English mastiffs belonging 10 a
neighboring planter were Invited over and
Lana flaA
neighbor and myself wrapped ourselves in
heavy coats, for the nights In those parts are
very chill, and climbed into crows nest,
which had been built in Tree TOP near by. The
early hours of the night were as dark as Erebus
and Jagged painfully. the oppressive stiffness
being broken now and then by the cry OF some
wild denizen OF the jungle. Toward 1 O'clock
the pale light of the moon f1ickered through the
foliage. Cooped up in the little nest we were
half asleep, when, with cat-like screech, a
magnificent cheetah bounded over the palings
of the Enclosure and for an instant crOuched 10
take survey OF the situation.
Tine mastih closest the outside, and very
was struck dead with single blow from the
cheetah, which then quietly approached the
pen, The other maslif female, doubly en-
ragged at the fate of her mate, with 4 terrific
growl fastened her fangs deep in the throat Of
the cat. A red-not fight followed. With
scIeeches, kisses and growls the cat and dog
rolled over and over the cheetah making des-
perate efforts 10 break the dogs hold, but it
was no go. The mastff had come TO stay.
Dawson got down from the nest in quick ORDER
and with welaimed pistol-shot sent the
cheetah to its last home The dog was horri-
bly, Injured, it having been literally disem-
boweled by the claws of the great cat. She was
sent via rail 10 the Marine Hospital at Colombo,
sewed up and carefully nursed back 10 health.
The cheetah measured seven and q half feet
from the end OF his nose to the tip of his tail,
and was about the largest ever killed in that
district.
II Tell you, sir. the cheetah is a cat from
away back. No dog Is anything Ike match
for it in a fair fight. The cheetah is worthy
kinsman of the Bengal tiger. and with the lat
ter animal no lion Is to be compared III strength,
agility or fighting qualities"