The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-03
BATTLE OF THE
BARNARD HOST.

FAIRFIELD, Oct. PA furious
battle that promises to become historic
throughout Connecticut took place on
Winfred Nash's farm last Tuesday.
The participants were a gray eagle, a
land turtle, dog, two cats, and
rooster.
The result of the battle is two dead,
two dying, and one crippled for life.
The land turtle alone came out OF the
fray unscratcheG. 1t is thirty-hve-
FOUNDER and is kept chained to
stake just inside the wire-circled sum
mer yard set apart for new broodS OF
incubator chickens. It's presence is
supposed to protect the chickens from
weassels. The turtle has developed
something of the temper of his snap
per- brother since being chained.
Just out of the reach of the turtle
lying last Tuesday, with litter of kit
tens around her. Beside the mother cat
old Tom lay summing himself. Tom
had killed eight chicken-hawks in his
time. Farmer Nash says.
Suddenly there was a Tapping or
wings, and over the wire screen flew
big gray eagle. The bird was evidently
after an old rooster that was in the
yard; but, miscalculating his distance.
coop-like yard. When the bird lit he
struck the mother cats tail, and in
stinctively closed his talonS down on
it.
In a twinkling a fight was on. The
cat screamed and then jumped for the
eagles throat, which she could not
reach. The feathers flew, strong wings
beat the plucky cat, and the screaming
and screeching was deafening. Far
,nr. NoS nd h n
the coop. The big tom cat, the hawk
killer. jumped into the fray and at
tempted to seize the eagle by the
throat. For his pains he received a
dig from the eagles beak, which tore
off two inches of his skin. The eagle
released the mother cat and attempted
20 get OUT of the pen-like coop, but the
it again lit or the ground both cats
made for it. Nearly all the feathers
were scratched from the birds noble
breast. and he was bleeding freely.
Old Tom was torn in several places
and so was the mother cat
Suddenly the eagle caught old Tom
in his talons, and as he did so again
attempted TO make off Just at this
point the old rooster was struck by the
tip of the eagles wings; and, like a
gamecock. he rushed at the eagle, who
pecked him Just back of the neck,
tearing open the flesh and nearly sever
ing the neck. Then the mother cat,
almost covered with her own blood and
that of Tom. was fighting the eagle
single-handed. With a "Sic 'em, Pc
terri the hired man succeeded in in
ducing an old cur dog to enter the
coop. The dog joined the battle against
the eagle.
During the melee the innocent turtle.
ny ain 70 e. toll
times been attacked, but apparently
took no offense. When Pete, the dog
Joined the fight he forced the eagle
again to the turtles side of the coop,
and. still holding to the tom cat, the
birds free leg several times struck the
turtles head.
Suddenly the head shot forth, and the
next instant the eagles les was
seized between the bony Jaws of the
turtle. With scream the bird re-
leased Tom and turned his attention to
the turtle. His beak made no impress
sion on the turtles shell. and the lat
ter retained his hold on the eagles
leg. Once the eagle rose a couple of
feet in the air and lifted the turtle
clear off the ground
The bird returned to its attack on
the dog, with the result that the cur
went jumping into a far corner Then,
making a supreme effort, the eagle
broke from the turtle escaped from
the pen and scared slowly and labor
lousy over tho mountain.
The fight lasted perhaps five minutes,
all told Farmer Nash says. On en-
tering the coop he found the old roos-
ter was dead, and so was the tom cat
The mother cat was almost skinned
alive and is dying. Pete. the dog, has
apparently lost an eye, and he is nor
ribly lacera ted. He cannot live