Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-08-29
4 WILDCATS SWEETHEART.
She Wished Him In Captivity and Fought
tac Man That Trapped Him.

~
She Wished Him III Captivity and Fought
tlc Man That Trapped Him.
On tie edge of ,hu great Okefeno-
keu swamp, the tree grown morass
that lies in southeastern Georgia,
lives q man n..n., :. ~, N.-", u Crack-
or from hair to toes, r;iser OF
sheep and u hunter. The American
Field tells nbou. II scrap he had with
o wildcat.
Kennon's flock Of sheep offered
savory attractions to the swamp
wildcats, ana the wildcats were re-
strained by 10 moral scruples, so it
happened TINT L. rnon lost mat
ter of 81 sheep from time to time,
and each additional sheep taken add
cd to his anger. At first the dogs
were blamed for the dead and man.
gled sheep, but cat track four sizes
too large for II house cat settled the
question, ana trap set mado u pris-
oner of a tiger cat Tho captive was
q mails, h.. ugly and about 3 feet
long. Yellu% h:.rS wero about his
savage mouth, and his ears were
white spots on q LACK ground. No
ono venturcI - t:,l the muscles OF
his logs. bu: ,.ey looked hard. The
bu,!y aal L wiry look, and the hips
wcIc th;ok and strong, we'll fitted
for lon.;, quick Leaps.
The wildcat WIS chained up in a
shed securely, aAl the negro that
fell him tosS,d tho meat to him from
u distance, Il rod far.he than the
cat coald roach unless something
broke.
In spite Of his savageness, in spite
ut tho gro ), Is with which he greeted
the approach of IL human being, and,
further, liz spite OF his captivity no
had faithful sweetheart that dared
mon, dogs and traps to visit her dis
treSsed Low II. She came Light after
night, hut made no foray, nor any
attempt at one, OH the cattle, and
she avoided the tempting bats
which were put over traps to lure
her into captivity like that of her
lover. Finding traps and snares un-
available, KenLon put his dogs on
her trail one morning and trailed
her back into the swamp. Among
tho brush and scrubs the dogs led
their master by devious course to
n knoll rising out of the swamp for
half an acre.
Here the sweetheart wildcat was
brought to lay. and Kennon is not
likely to for. get the occasion very
soon. He got sight over his gun bar
rels at the cat III tree fork, and it
wasn't very long before the cat was
ON the ground. jumping his way.
Tho 30 inches Of wildcat hit the S
feet of man, and the man would
have been done for if tho several
yards of dogs hadn't sailed in and
hauled the Cat of.
The man got up, tho blood drip
ping OF tho ends of the rags that
had beon his clothes a moment be.
fore, and by the ti:ne he was on his
feet the dogs were headed toward
home and the W..4cat licking her
chops five feet from the man. The
gun WAS OUT Of roach, there wash t q
knife in his clothes, he didn't dare
to stoop for club, and things look
ed moro favorable for the big puss
than for the man.
Just why Il ferocious brute with u
man whipped and half killed and
the dogs put to flight should hest
tate to sail in and finish her enemy
is something for mon to think about.
Kennon looked severely ut the cat,
and what tho cat saw in the man g
eye deferred her from attacking
him. Kennon fell back with one
foot, still Keeping his eyes on the
cat, and then took step. He had
so taken several steps when the dogs
returned Whipped they had been,
but whipped they would not stay.
Tho dogs leapel in, and the man
leaped out. The dogs got home that
night some time after Kennon ar.
rived. They were somewhat worn;
considerable hide was gone and not
a little blood. Tho next day Kennon
took lis rifle, and, finding tho she
cat at home, killed her.
She Got III. Hot Water.