The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-09
SLEPT IN A WILDCATS BED.
Owner Came Late at Night, Mad and
FerociOus.
From the New york Press

From the New York Press.
Rolfe Pa, Jan. 3O.-Elton W. Landon,
who represents a large numbering concern.
with headquarters at Buffalo, after being
lost in the forest, has found himself. Mr..
Landon tells the following story of his
adventures:
II came here to look over tract of
timber on Bear creek, which the COM
pany recently bought 1 was instructed to
select a suitable site for a steam saw
mill. I came up to Rolfe last Tuesday
morning on the log train. From there
followed the pike leading to Warren until
l came to Bear creek and 1 thought
knew all about the topography of the
country, so 1 didn't even trouble myself
to carry my compass.
at is no small job to inspect a thou
sand acres of standing timber, especially
at this time of year, and got tired wal
lowing around through the snow. did
not feel like footing it back to Rolfe af-
ter my day S work, so / concluded to strike
out for Bells lumber camp on Mill creek,
but, as l found out afterward, instead of
going east as / should have done, l veer-
ed to the south and started down an ele-
waited ridge that extends diagonally to
Bear creek, forming high bluff about
six miles from our tract
IT knew 1 ought to make Mill Greek in
half an hour, but at the end of that time
II was as dark as a stack of back cats.
] leaned up against a tree and hallooed
with all my might. Wandering on a few
steps / felt, rather than saw, that 1 was
in a narrow, rocky ravine, partially shell
tered from the snow. l crowded close up
10 one side. At last / found myself pro-
tected from the storm. Striking a match
l saw that / was underneath a big, fiat
rock, which jutted out eight or ten feet
over my head. 1t looked mighty cozy
close up under the rock, and after striking
another match TO get, my bearings, 1
clambered up there and found myself in
a little niche just large enough to sit up
There was considerable floor room in
front of me, but the place narrowed down
at the rear until it was just wide enough
to serve as a rest to my back. There were
a lot of leaves and some twigs in there,
came there. l just planked myself down
on EN-
IT had been walking fast through the
snow and my blood was heated. AS be-
gan to cool of 1 felt chilly, but l pulled
my coat up around my neck and settled
down, determined to rest myself. / could
hear the whistle of a distant locomotive,
which seemed to come from a different d.
rection every time it sounded, so couldn't
get any idea of my whereabouts from
that: l don't know how long I sat there
listening to the whistles and the owls
but by and by dozed off and forgot nv
troubles for the time being.
probably had slept one hour when I
aWoke with a curious start, with nothing
short OF positive knowledge that some
thing or somebody was near me Leaning
forward could see something that moved
near the edge of the shelf Goose pinples
began to make themselves felt all over INV
body. The thing moved again and then I
saw the glow of pair of eyes that shone
like a couple of buIl's-e lanterns in a
dark valley. l fished out my 3S-caliber re-
volver mighty quick, tell you, and point
ing 1t as nearly as possible at the lurni-
nous eyes banged away, at the same time
bractng myself in expectation of an at
tack from the creature.
THE report of my revolver sounded like
a young cannon, but the screech that fol-
lowed 1t raised my cap off my head. I
blazed away again into the darkness aim
ing at nothing in particular, for the crea-
ture disappeared. don't know what il was
but suppose it was a wildcat or a cata-
mount presume I was occupying its MS
ual quarters, whatever it was. raked the
leaves and twigs together and set them
on fire, and by the light thus obtained /
managed TO find fuel enough to keen IN a
bluff the rest of the night.
Il crawled out of my cramped quarters
at the first peep of day, and heading down
hill l brought up, after two hours walk
not on Mill creek, as 1 expected but on
Bear creek. about six miles below the
company's tract of timber
es, I'm all right now, but I'm not go
ing out of my door yard again without
my pocket compass and three days ra-
tions."