The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-05
ANNALS FIERCE ATTACK.
4 Brave Young WOman'S Midnight
Encounter.

NAL, Whose Body Seemed Imper-
vious to Bullets, and Which, While
Resembling Wildcat, Does Not Be
long to Any Known Species of That
Family.
From the Philadelphia Times.
Bayou Plouver, Ia, Feb. l2.-Within
three miles of this place, last night, there
was most desperate fight between a
young woman named Walters, and a
strange, murderous looking animal such
as was never seen or heard of before by
any of the inhabitants here. A cores
pendent called on Miss Walters this
morning TO get the facts of her strange
adventure
Ever since grandpa died" she said,
grandma and l have lived here alone.
We fight our own battles and support
ourselves very well. If bear comes nos
ing around our pigs we go for him and
he is almost sure to be our meat. When
wildcat prowls around our chickens we
make hash of linn, and next day let the
chickens prowl round him. We are well
prepared for everything that isn't wanted
for we have rife, two shotguns and a
revolver, and we make good use of them
all. I am never sick day, but grandma
is, and that is our only trouble. If she
takes bad turn at any time must go a
mile to our nearest neiFhbors before I
can get any assistance Grandma was
sick last night and that was the cause Of
my having such set-to with that ami
nal.
Il had done all that I could for her, but
she still seemed so weak that ] concluded
1t was best for me to so for our neighbOr.
l made the mile in good time, but only to
find that my neighbOr was away from
home, having gone TO spend the night
with some of her friends. l was greatly
disappointed, and hurried back home,
only to find grandma growing worse, and
not a soul within miles of US II wasn't
wise to leave her, nor safe to cross the
lake on such dark, windy night; but
she needed physician and that was the
only way l could get one. While l was
wondering what was best for me to do
she doZCd of. In moment / was out of
the room. turned tho key nOiselesslY and
hurried to the boat. The lake was rough.
and the skin was tossed around 50 that it
took all my strength to make progress.
After being brtfeted by the waves
for some time l found myself
safely over, right at the mouth of Boyou
Plouver. My arms we're so tired and
nay hands so cold that instead of rowing
on down the bayou to the old French
mans whom I intended sending Tor the
doctor, l chained the boat to a tree and
got out, The krenchman lived more than
a half mile further on, and my only way
of getting there, except by water, was
through a dense part of the woods. 1t
was terribly, and must have been by
that time almost dark Midnight 1t took
me several seconds to summons sufficient
courage to risk the walk, but | finally did
and reached there safely. After seeing
the old man start for the doctor, whom
| he promised to bring over himself, l
started for home, thinking that the best
possible thing TO do.
"Whue crossing the lake I had gotten
very wet from the spray and waves that
dashed over the boat, and coming back in
the wind, which was stronger and seemed
colder, found myself shaking with cold.
| My hands were 50 numb that there was
no feeling in them. Knowing that [
could not row over the lake in this cOndi-
ton, gathered up d handful of leaves,
| took match from my hunting belt and lit
them. Then piled up over them broken
twigs and bits of bark lying around and
soon had a bright fire, the warmth of
which was very soothing to me. The sit
uatiOn made me a little nervous l lis
tened, but there was not a sound except
swapping of the burning twig. IN a few
minutes most of the MINDLESS was out of
my hands and my dress was almost dry
! smOthered the fire and took several
rapid steps toward the boat, but before |
had gone half way | was alarmed by some
thing sprInging on my shoulders, sticking
its claws in me and weighing me down.
II drew my revolver quickly from my
belt and fired three times in rapid success
sion, but it had little effect, as the thing
remained clinCing to the double wool
shawl wound bout my head and shout
ders. l fired again, and as the shawl
came united so did the animal loose its
hold, and Goth fell to the ground. The
fright gave me a terrible ague. which
completely untitled me for good shooting
The animals claws were tangled in the
shawl, but in a second he jerked than
free, and came growing and Kissing at
me in full force.
And l had only one cartridge left.
lit came at my throat as though deter
mined to tear it into threads. l warded
of the attack the best I could. thrust the
pistol against his heart-as thought
and hrod. The animal fell back and I
took one breath of Joy, believing myself
out Of danger, when it arose on its mind
feet and threw itself at me again. l
fought with both feet, my hands and the
pistol, hammerlng it over his head, kick
ing it and striking it anywhere This
continued until l thought every second
would be my last With my feet and one
hand busy l managed to pick up the shawl
ana throw it over its head. Ii was bind
folded and two or three sc sonds were
mine. To reach the boat was out Of the
question, so I made a desperate leap to-
wards a tree end climbed up Just as the
animal got rid of the shawl. He looked
around and not seeing me growled and
began to sniff the air. What aa opportu-
nifty that was for me to kill him But
the revolver was on the ground where I'd
dropped it when climbing, so the cart
ridges in my belt were Of no value
while up in this tree, shaking like the
leaves on it, watching the animal and de-
ploring my fate, little blaze shot up
from the fire by which l saw stout
stick, and determined to use it well if
the animal attacked me again, which he
dld III much less time than it takes me to
tell it,"
He traced my steps to the tree and
without the least effort came up, leaping
from limb to limb as easily as though
walking along the ground. Without
let myself drop and landed without fall
ing AS quickly as could l reached for
theNstick, when the animal in it disan-
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