Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-09-21
A WILDCATS SWEETHEART.
sh. Visited Him In Captivity and Fought
the Man That Trapped Him.

the Man That Trapped Him.
On the edge of the great Okefeno-
kee swamp, the tree grown morass
that lies in southeastern Georgia,
lives a man named Kcnnon, a Crack
ger from hair to toes, a raiser OF
sheep and hunter The American
Field tells about scrap he had with
wildcat.
Kennon's flock of sheep offered
savory attractions to the swamp
wildcats, and the wildcats were re
strained by no moral scruples, so Ii
happened that Eennon lost mat
ter of so sheep from time to time
and each additional sheep taken add
ed to his anger At first the dogs
were blamed for the dead and man
gled sheep, but cat track four sizes
too large for house cat settled the
question, and a trap set madea pris-
oner of 8 tiger cat. The captive was
a male, big, ugly and about feet
long. Yellow hairs were about his
savage mouth, and his ears We're
white spots on black ground. No
one ventured to feel the muscles OF
his legs, but they looked hard. The
body had wiry look, and the hips
were thick and strong, we'll fitted
for long, quick leaps.
The wildcat was chained up in a
shed securely, and the negro that
fed him tossed the meat to him from
a distance, a rod farther than the
cat could reach unless something
broke.
In spite of his savageness, in spite
of the growls with which he greeted
the approach of human being, and,
further, in spite of his captivity he
had a faithful sweetheart that dared
men, dogs and traps to visit her dis
tressed lover. She came night after
night, but made no foray, nor any
attempt at one, on 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 IN
available. Kennon put his dogs Oh
her trail one morning and trailed
her back into the swamp. Among
the brush and scrubs the dogs led
their master by IA devious course to
knoll rising out of the swamp for
half an acre.
Here the sweetheart wildcat was
brought to bay, and Kennon is not
likely to forget the occasion very
soon. He got sight over his gun bar
rels at the cat in a tree fork, and it
WASH t very long before the cat was
on the ground, jumping his way.
The 80 inches of wildcat hit the )
feet of man, and the man would
have been done for if the several
yards of dogs hadn't sailed in and
hauled the cat off.
The man got up, the blood drip
ping off the ends of the rags that
had been his clothes moment be-
fore, and by the time he was on his
feet the dogs were headed toward
home and the wildcat licking her
chops FIVE feet from the man. The
gun was out of reach, there wash t a
knife in his clothes, ne didn't dare
to stoop for club, and things look
ed more favorable for the big puss
than for the man.
Just why ferocious brute with a
man whipped and half killed and
the dogs put to flight should hest
tate to sail in and finish her enemy
is something for men to think about.
Kennon looked severely at the cat,
and what the cat saw in the man S
eye deferred her from attacking
him. Kennon fell back with one
foot, still keeping his eyes on the
cat, and then took q step. He had
so taken several steps when the dogs
returned. Whipped they had been,
but whipped they would not stay.
The dogs leaped 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. The next day Kennon
took his rifle, and, finding the she
cat at home, killed her.