Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-09
THE cHEETAH AS A FIGHTER.
A Story from Cey,on Told I'm a Hotel Lopp'
to "A Star Reporter.

Dore I,awton, who has spent some ume
In the Island Of Ceylon, ana rrpoi 'S'
for the Washington Star had talA u,
the lobby of the Shoreham. speaking ol
cheetahs." he said, IL want TO tel you
story OF p battle between Engiish mas
tits and a thoroughbred Ceylonese chee-
tab. There is a very general fhpreasio',
that the cheetah and the royai beHsal
tiger are Just about the same thlhs' Du'
this isn't SO. The main Inference IN ,len' '.i'
is that the former is not so bloodthirsty
az the latter Right down In his heart
he is not a man-eater but he can dl-
oest that kind OF meat when occasion
reouires. As a rule, he VIII give the
human brotherhood a wide berth Out IL
Won corner him there is no telling now
hard he can fight. Stir him up, ana ne
will make the fur fly In fast ana Iu-
riOus fashion. He has been known 10 ne
I'm wait along the mountain ROADS lor
human prey but these Instances are rar''
and his manivOrOus taste Is not very
hiphIv developed There are many au-
thentic statements recorded where Chee-
tabs AT certain seasons Of the year, have
,,neared in the mountain villages, gene
railv seeking the fires which have been
lighted for cooking purposes on the nara
o. rtb floors on the rude huts Then the
ronulatiou. migratt, leave the cheetah 10
bis glory. and report at the nelghboflhB
village that the animals are working
havoc among the hogs and humans On
one occasion of this kind, Captain BAKER,
the great oriental sportsman, MADE an
an Investigation on the spot, shot chee-
tab as t. stood before the hreplace IN
hut made the discovery that the animal
had sought the warmth because Oh
ueculiar disease Of the jaws and teeth.
-. IA If t.a htal4d
tah he saw that the gums were full OF
maogots and these when warmed by the
fire would crawl far enough out OF the
sockets of the teeth 10 be reached by the
cheetah's claws There was coffee plan
ter who lived near Randy, whose bunsa-
low was in the mountains, and whose
name was Dawson. He had numoer OF
fine China pigs, which became the apple
of the cheetab's eye The feline trtbesnan
made nightly. calls, and the porkers were
horne of one by one. Attempts 10 shOol
the intruder failed. Two English mastiifs'
heIonging 10 neighboring plan-
ter were invited over and placed III the
piggery. Dawson. his neighbor, ana my
self wrapped ourselves IN heaVy coats
for the nights in those parts are very chi'i'
and climbed mto crow nest "hiS"
rad been built in a tree-top near by.
dark as Erebus and Jagged painfully,
the oppressive stiffness being now and
then broken by the cry of some wlld
denizen of the jungle. Toward ! o'clock
the pale light of the moon fickered
through the dense foliage. Cooped up In
the nest. we were half asleep, when with
a cat-like screech, a magnificent chee'ah
hounded over the palings or the enclo-
sure and for an instant croucheu 70
take a survey OF the situation. Ihe mas
tiff closest the outside, and very near as
largo az the cat bounded at him. and was
struck dead with single blow from the
cheetah. which then quietly approached
the pen. The other mastin. a femaie'
doubly enraged at the fate OF her mate
with a terrific growl fastened her fangs
deep In the throat of the cat. red-not
fight followed. With screeches, Misses
and growls the cat and dog rolled over
and over. the cheetah making desperate
efforts to break the dogs hold, put u was
no go The mastiff had come to stay.
Dawson got down from the nest In
oulck order. and with a well-aimed pistol
hot sent the cheetah 10 It's last. long home
The dog was horribly injured, It having
heen literally disembowelled by the claws
Of the great cat. She was sent VIA ran
m the Marine Hospital az Colombo
sewed UP, and carefully nursed back 10
health. The cheetah measured seven and
one half feet from the end OF his nose to
the tIp Of his tail. and was about the
largest ever killed In that district.
I tell you. sir. the cheetah is . cat from
away back. No dog is anything IKE
match for IL in a fair fight. The cheetah
Is a worthy kinsman OF the Bengal tiger
and with the latter animal no lion Is TO
be compared In strength. agility. or ngnt-
ing qualities"