Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-06-29
THE WEASEL KILLED THE RAJ
A Novel Battle In an Dat Bin In n Coun
try Store In Maine.

~
try Store In Maine.
During trip 10 Maine" said
commercial traveller. II was at the store
of n country merchant one morning try
ing to sell him a bill of goods Hap
pening to step into tho back room, used
In part rs n storehouse for potatoes and
grain, saw a slender little white ami
NAL running about rs if perfectly at
home which recognized as weasel in
his winter coat / threw potato at
him, which of course failed TO hit and
did not seem even TO alarm the weasel,
and coming back into the front store
spoke 10 tho merchant about the wild
beast running at large ON his premises
"'Oh. that's all right, he said I'm.
with me wouldn't have him hurt or
driven away on any account The rats
have been bothering me n good deal.
eating my potatoes and grain, but he'll
make short work of them. They II never
stay long in any place where a weasel is.
I'VE were still sitting by the stove
talking when there came a loud squeak
ing from the back room.
q" IN bet the weasel's caught a rati
cried the merchant, and we both ran
back 10 the storeroom TO see what was
doing there.
Surely enough, there was hot fight
on between big rat and the weasel.
H.. So, IA
half filed 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 the neck,
but he presented determined front, his
teeth swapping savagely at each APP
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
1.-THE weasel's tactics plainly wers 80
drive the rat from the corner and it was
interesting TO watch his feints and
PUSHES At his close approach the rat
would dart forward to snap at his elu-
sivc foe and Immediately back into his
corner again The weasel was every
where at once, feinting to attack him in
front, running around him along the
top and sides of the bin and working to
keep the rat OH the move.
AT last he ran down the side of the
bin behind the rat as if TO attack him
in the rear The rat whirled, snapped
viciously at the weasel, which drew
back out Of reach, whereupon the rat
seeing his enemy upon one side and
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 10 the rats, so that that ami.
NAL could not turn his head sufficiently
TO bite him. That took the fight ont of
the rodent, which ran about squealing,
Che 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
Il was with some difficulty that we
drove him from his prey, and so long as
we remained in tho storeroom he repeat.
eddy tried 10 seize the rat which the
merchant took TO the front door and
flung far into vacant lot across the
road.
"'If | left the rat i'll the bin, the
weasel would bury it among tho oats
after he found he couldn't dragit away
TO hide. he said. It's only a week
that I've seen him around, and I've
taken five rats out of that bin already
Kew York SIM