The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1895-01-11
ma WEASEL KILLED THE RXr.
\ nsv~s BsstSs In an Oat Hin In . Coun-
try store In Mime.


4 nsvss B~,tss In an Oat Hin In oous-
try store In Mime.
~Duyine . trip 70 Maine" said q
commercial traveNr. 81 was at the store
Of soantry merchant one morning try
ing 70 sell him hill Of goods Hap
penilg 10 step into tho back room, used
in part ~ a ssorehouse for potatoes and
grain, I saw a slender little white AMI.
NAL running about as II perfectly at
home which recognized as weasel in
his winter coat ! threw a potato at
him, whieh Of course failed to hit and
did not seem even 70 alarm the weasel.
and coming back into the front store !
spoke TO the merchant about the wild
beast running at large on his premises,
"'Oh, that's all right, he said. I'm
very glad he's taken up his quarters
with mo- wouldn't have him hurt or
driven away on any account. Tho rats
have been bothering me good deal,
eating my~potatoes and grain, but he'll
make short work Of them. They'll never
stay long in any place whore weasel is.
1--WE were still sitting by the stove
talking when there came loud squeak
ing from tho back room.
"I'll bet the weasel's caught rat
cried the merchant. and we both ran
back to the storeroom to see what was
doing there
"Surely enough, there was hot fight
ON between big rat and the weasel.
The weasel had the rat cornered in bin
half filled with oats He had evidently
failed in his first attack, and the second
was about to begin. The rat was bleed
ing from two fine punctures in tho neck,
but he presented determined front, his
teeth swapping savagely at each ap-
proach Of the weasel, which ran lithely
to and fro Watching for an opening for
attack. Neither animal apparently took
any note of our presence.
'The weasel's tactics plainly were to
drive the rat from the corner, and it was
| interesting to watch his feints and
rushes. At his close approach the rat
would dart forward to map at his elu-
sive foe and Immediately back into his
corner again. The weasel was every
where at once, feinting to attack him i'll
front, running around him along tho
top and sides of the bin and working to
keep the rat ON the move.
cat last he ran down tho side Of the
bin behind the rat as If to attack him
in the rear. The rat whirled, snapped
| -: H. .,,l,iol,
back out of reach, whoreupon tho rat.
seeing his enemy upon ono side and a
clear space ON the other, turned and
bolted from the corner. Before he had
half crossed the bin the weasel was upon
him and had seized him by the neck
close to the head, his slender body hug
ging close to the rats, SO that that ami
NAL could not turn his head sufficiently
to bite him. That took tho fight out Of
the rodent. which ran about squealing,
the weasel holding fast and sucking his
blood until the rat dropped.
when quite sure that his victim was
dead, the weasel tried to drag him from
the bin, but was not equal to the task.
It was with some difficulty that we
drove him from his prey, and 10 long as
we remained In the storeroom he repeat
eddy tried to seize the rat, which the
merchant took to the front door and
flung far into q vacant lot across the
road.
"'If l left the rat in tho bin, the
weasel would bury it among the oats
! after he found he couldn't drag it away
to hide, he said. It's only a weef
, that Two seen him around, and I'vt
taken five rats out Of that bin already.
-New York Sun.