The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-22

near the York county border, and hear
ing peculiar noise at the side of the
road / got out of my wagon to investigate.
In hollow stump found nine wildcat
kittens almost as big as full-grown house
cats.
"'Ha! ha' says. Here's sls for me,
sure enoughp
"While | was busy appropriating the
scramblinR and scratching young cats,
out of the woods came the mother of the
litter, and made right for me- put two
or three pistol balls into her and that
was all there was of the fight.
"'Have to call it $40 now says, and I
tumbled the old cats carcass into the
wagon, and put the nine kittens in by
her. They Struggled down as meek as
mice, and | started on, feeling good.
II had gone mile or so when | hap
pened to look back along the road and
saw big black streak coming toward me
like hurricane. knew what il was in
a second. 1t was one of the famous black
snakes of that district. put whip to my
horse, thinking | might get away from
my pursuer, but didn't know the quail
ties of those snakes. This one closed I'D
the space between US so fast that he was
almost at the hind wheels OF my wagon
before my horse had run five rods. I
thought, of course, that the snake
wanted me, and l quickly turned
to be done to save myself Having
often read of ira velers pursued by wolves
tossing dogs and other things from their
sleds as Stops TO the wolves, thus gaining
time and distance, a happy thought
struck me, and grabbed wildcat kit
ten and tossed it out to this snake TO see
how it would work 1t worked first rate.
The snake stopped. l whipped up my
horse. Looking back, l saw the snake
getting ready TO envelop the kitten, and
thought ! was saved, but just then out Of
the woods at one side Of the road whizzed
another blacksnake as big as the first,
and went 10 climbing right up into the
wagon. | grabbed another kitten and
chucked IL out, and had TO groan a little,
for it was another 81 contribution to
snakes.
Then away went again, hoping to
save the rest of the prize money. BY and
by looked back 10 see how the land lay.
1t wasn't laying at all. 1t was all torn up
by four more immense blacksnakes,
which were putting in their best ticks to
catch me. not more than 100 yards in the
rear. threw another kitten out, suppos-
ing the four snakes would stop and have
a squabble for IL. But they didn't. One
got IL, and the other three came right on.
And more snakes came out of the woods
and joined in the chase. | saw it was no
use. and so stood up, my horse going at
1ull Jump, ana Ieu buem SuakeS Wllu-cab
kittens until the whole nine were gone,
and | was Sl8 out.
II was pretty near out Of the woods by
this time. could see the clearings right
ahead.
g I'm save the old dead cat, by gump
/ says, and clean up 50 out Of this, any
howl
"But was overhauled by tremendous
big blacksnake beforeI got to the end Of
the woods, and knew by the bump on
him that he had at least two of the kit
tens inside OF himself already. had TO
give up The old cat, and went out Of those
woods into the clearing a-hummlng. /
looked back and saw the whole caboodle
Of snakes having grand old rough-a and
tumble over the body of the mother wild
cat, but didn't stay 10 see how IL came
out. So found out by personal observa-
tion that blacksnakes are fond Of Wild
cats but IL cost mo go"