Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-01-27
CATAM0UNT KITTENS.
DEACON wEssTER'S FIGHT
FOR a PAIR OF THEM.
A West virginia Preacher Has Close
Cali At Night on MieaJah Mountain
But lie was Piueky aud Won tho
Battie-wnh Hickory stick.


Deacon Hiram Webster a Christian,
or Campbellite. exhorter or preacher
who has travelled the mountains and
forests and wild glens Of West
Virginia for nearly half century.
has in the course OF that time had as
many adventures. escapes and hair
breadth experiences as any native OF
this section, says correspondent Of
the St Louis Republic.
4 few days ago the deacon did u
very foolish thing. which he had
reason 10 regret. as he says, "'in
short meter The deacon was rid
ing horseback. and rs he was in the
/ act o. crossing a narrow stream at
the foot Of Micajah mountain he saw
q couple Of catamount kittens play
Ing on the sward Of the opposite
hank
The little bob tailed. short.cared
fluffy punches Of fur looked so limo
cent and pretty Is they rolled and
tumbled over each other. cutting and
biting and chasing each other in
play. that Deacon Webster concluded
10 capture them alive ana take them
with him to Andy Wallace's, about
six or seven miles away Wsmount-
ing be quickly slipped upon the kit
/ tens. but before he could seize them
! one shot into a hollow log and the
other ran towards the woods Tho
deacon easily caught the latter,
7 which he carried back, but was Sc
+ verely scratched and bitten on the
hands before he could get il into his
T saddlebags. The kitten which had
taken refuge in the hollow log stuck
/ ike a leech 10 its sides. and il took
I tn. reverend zoologist nearly an
hour OF hard work to persuade II.
with q torked stick. 20 come out
This one was consigned also 20 the
/ sa1dlebags along with lot Of tracts,
hymn books and other religious
I literature.
II was growing late and the deacon
had six or seven miles 10 go through
/ the thick fo-est before he coald
4 reach Wallace nearest house
ana befor. be hal ridden half that
distance the sun hogan 70 disa pear
behind the distant peaks The dca-
con was riding along slowly In u
I thoughtful mood. when shriIl
scream behind and up the side Of the
mountain reminded him that it was
not only growing dusk. but that
there was also rapidly approaching
/ prospect Of a tight II not couple OF
them, with tn pursuing parents Of
the kidnapped kittens.
Dismounting. he cut heavy hick
Org stick. or cudgel. about three feet
I in length. and had barely trimmed II
into shape when both eatamounts
/ sprang into the marrow pathway a
few yards ahead. They had scented
7 the kittens and were making ready
4 u even up things with their abductOr.
I One Of the catamnunts tho malc-a
Z tremendous fellow, even for that neck
Z o. the woods. where catamOunts grow
almost a. large a panthers. sprang
squarely for the deacons throat. but
4 received blow tr1u the hickory on
I the back which laid him out tempo.
! rarily Before the dominic could res
I cover his guard. the female. with a
/ scream. sp-ang and caught him with
its foreclaw. and teeth by the
I shoulder of his jacket tearing tho
I jacket into ribbons and leaving half
dozen long and deep cats and
I scratches or his shoulder and arm
/ Luckily the cat hal partially missed
I her calculation. as the dominic
swung about with the bow given the
| big male. brought his shoulder in
! stead Of his Tn Oat where her claws
/ had struck. or il would have guns
worse with him. Even o. it was. the
/ wounds were terribly painful and
they made the dominic utter a few
I words which he candidiy admitted
afterward we're rather unoFthodox
I BY this time the old male had ~.
/ gained mis- feet. and then both cats
4 prepared to spring at once. Seeing
that affairs were getting serious. the
/ deacon backed up against a tree and
awaited the onslaught lie didnt
\ have 70 wait long as the male.
snarling and splitting with rage.
MADE spring al his throat. while
4 the female was creeping on so one
L sue - II 70 thhe MN III JHe ItNk
I This fact doubtless saved the deacon.
as il gave him time % receive the
biggest one. which he skillfUliy did
By jumping to his right and striking
with his cudgel as the cat landed
against the tree The blow Knocked
the brute senseless The female Just
at that moment made a Ayiag leap,
but another rapid movement caused
| her to miss and also to strike the
base Of the tree in front Of which
the deacon had stood Before the
cat could recover the now thorough.
~ mad preacher gave it one good
blow on the ribs. but he
slipped and fell full length
by the side OF tho cat. which
seized one Of his legs with teeth and
claws and began to rake his clothes
into ribbons Deacon Webster could
not pull or kick himself loose. aud
they rolled and tumbled. tho deacon
kicking and striking with his club,
a.