River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-22
FULL OF FIGHT.
Cheetah's Battle with Pair of Big
English Mastiffs.

I n Win VI DIX
English MastifYs.
Dore Lawtor has spent some time in
the island of Ceylon speaking of
cheetahs," he said. Il want to tell you
a story of a battle between English
mastiffs and a thoroughbred Ceylonese
cheetah.
There is a very general impression
that the cheetah and the royal Benga
tiger are just about the same thing,
but this isn't So The main difference
/ in them is that the former is not so
bloodthirsty as the latter. Right down
in his heart he is not a man-eater. but
he can digest that kind of meat when
occasion requires. As rule he will
give the human brotherhood wide
berth. but if you corner him there is no
telling how hard he can fight Stir
him up and he 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
| MS manivorons taste is not very highly
| developed. There are many authentic
statements recorded where cheetahs.
at certain seasons of the year, have
| appeared in the mountain villages,
generally seeking the fires which have
been lighted for cooking purposes ON
the hard earth floors of the rude huts.
Then the population migrate, leave
the cheetah to his glory. and report at
the neighboring village that the ami
mails are working havoc among the
hogs and humans. On one occasion of
this kind Capt. Baker, the great orien-
tai sportsman, made an investigation
IN the spot, shot a cheetah as il stood
before the fireplace in hut, and made
the discovery that the animal had
sought the warmth because of a pecul-
lar disease of the jaws and teeth On
examining the mouth of the dead
cheetah he saw that the gums were
full of maggots, and these, when
warmed by the fire, would crawl far
enough ont of the sockets of the teeth
to be reached by the cheetah's claws.
There was coffee planter who
lived near Handy, whose bungalow
/ was in the mountains, and whose name
was Dawson. lie had number of fine
China pigs, which became the apple OF
the cheetah's eve. The feline tribes
man made nightly calls, and the pork
ers were borne off one by one At
tempts to shoot the intruder failed.
Two English mastiffs, belonging to a
neighboring planter, were invited over
and placed in the piggery. Dawson,
his neighbor and myself wrapped our
selves in heavy coats, for the nights in
those parts are very chilly, 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 OPP
pressive stiffness being now and then
broken by the cry of some wild
denizen OF the jungle Toward
one o'clock the pale light of the
moon fiicl1ered through the rdense
foliage. Cooped up in the nest, we
were half asleep, when, with a cat-like
screeeh, magnificent cheetah bound.
ed over the palings of the Enclosure,
and for an instant erouched to take a
survey of the situation.
THE mastiff closest the outside, and
very near as large as the cat, bounded
at him, and was struck dead with a
single blow from from the cheetah,
which then quietly approached the
pen. The other mastiff. a female
doubly enraged at the fate of her
mate, with a terrific growl fastened
her fangs deep in the throat of the
cat. A red-hot fight followed. With
screeches, Kisses and growls the cat
and dog rolled over and over. the
cheetah making desperate efforts to
break the dogs hold. but il was no go.
The mastiff had come to stay. Daw.
son got down from the nest in
quick order, and with well-aimed pis-
tol shot sent the cheetah to his last,
long home. The dog was horribly in.
jured. 1t having been literally disem.
boweled by the claws of the great cat.
She was sent by rail To the Marine
hospital at Colombo. sewed up and
carefully nursed back to 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.
Il tell you, sir, the cheetah is a ca;
from away back. No dog is anything
like match for il in fair fight. The
cheetah is a worthy kinsman of the
bengal tiger, and with the latter ami
NAL no lion is to be compared in
strength, agility, or lighting qualities =
Washington Star.