The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-31
sroRlrs OF ANIMAL LIFE.
Duel TO the Death Between "a Wild
Cat and a Rattler.
From the ST. Louis republic.

From the st. Louis Republic.
Three remarkable stories were told one
evening last week in the smoking room
at the Planters. They were told in sim
cerity if not in truth by Edward Ridge
~ cashier of the Ridgely National Bank;
Benjamin H. Brainerd, teller of the Ma
rine Bank, both of Springfield, ILL.,, and
James r. Youatt, a literary gentleman or
Chicago, who has gained some reputation
as a bear hunter.
The three stories were widely different
in character. Mr.. Ridgely told SNAKE
story Mr. Brainerd a fish story and Mr.
Youatt recounted an experience he mad
with a bear.
"A year or so ago, when / was down in
Arizona" began Mr.. Ridgely as he lighted
an after-dinner cigar, II saw feroclouS
battle between a huge blacksnake and
wildcat Accompanied by a guide l was
riding through the timber in the 1ootnl il
of the mountains, when heard most as
tressing cry in a thicket to the rlghL 81
the trail. We stopped our horses. and wan
Patton, my guide, said he believed II was
Il had always been anxious to kill a
panther, so i discounted, got out my WIN
chester, and leaving my horses with rat
ton picked my way carefully through the
thicket. / had gone perhaps hundred
yards, when ! came to an open space, per-
haps thirty feet across. Near the CEN
ter of thss l could see something hopping
around But it Topped with such Vigor
that it was some time before L could make
out just what 1t was. -.
"At length the object became more quiet,
and | went forward. There on the ground
before me lay the biggest wild cat ever
saw and wound around 1T was a monster
blacksnake. The snake had hrst taken
hitch about the abdomen of the cat ana
then dexterously coiled itself about poor
pussy's neck and fastened its fangs in her
jaw.
1.-THE cat made fierce fight, for 1t was
at least forty minutes before the struggle
was over. When pussy ceased her strug-
giles the snake began to uncoii ltselt, put
before it had finished its head dropped 10
the ground, and a moment later IL, 100
was dead.
Upon examination found that the cat,
with her hind feet had clawed large mole
in the snakes side, and the moment Il
loosed its hold the entrails gushed out. IL
was a duel to the death"
THAT is, indeed, a most remarkable
story" began Brainerd, when his contem-
porary in the banking business had nm
ished. 1T reminds me of remarkable
battle 1 once witnessed between mag
nificent pike and a large water moccasln
1t was down in Florida, and was fishing
in one of those clear, limpid streams which
apparently have no current. Jake Bum,
a gentleman of unquestionable veraclty
was with me, but so remarkable was the m
cident that ! don't think he ever related
it, lest some one might doubt his word.
I'VE had been fishing nearly half day
with but indifferent success, when saw
a
stream and stretch itself along on log
Il called Jakss attention to it and he
went back a few rods to get his gun for
the purpose of shooting the reptile.
about three inches of the snakes tail
was in the water. AS Jake was about to
take aim pike, that must have weighed
at least five pounds, darted up, seized the
snakes tail, and in an instant the reptile
was yanked into the water with a sud-
deness that must have astonished 1t.
Back and forth, across the stream, up
and down, the greedy pike tore with Its
victim. Meanwhile the snake was vainly
endeavoring to coil itself about the cour-
ageous fish. At length the fish began to
show signs of weakening strength and we
began to fear that the moccasin would fin
ally win the battle.
but we were wrong. AT the very mo-
ment when it seemed as though the snake
was going to overpower the fish second
pike appeared. 1t was quite as large as
the first and was evidently it's mate. And
1 shall always believe the pair had planned
the battle in advance. The snake had
turned about, and its mouth was within a
few inches of the tail of the now almost
exhausted hslI, when No. darted forward
like flash and seized the snake just back
of it's head. Then came the final struggle.
The water was dashed into a foam for a
few minutes. The serpent writhed and
struggled, but in vain. 1t grew weaker
and weaker and the fight ended, where
upon the sagacious fish devoured the moe
caSin."
Wonderful, very wonderful" broke in
Mr. Youatt. both are remarkable in the
extreme. Hearing them reminds me of a
grizzly bear out in Montana several years
ago. ,
emit, was with me, and we were hunting
for elk. We had separated and Nat was
going up one side of a ravine and l, about
500 yards away, was going up the other.
We had proceeded about two miles in this
way when rounded a curve in the ravine
and came upon a grizzly bear that must
have weighed over 1000 pounds. 1t stood
upon all-fours and was staring intently
into a little clump of bushes beneath an
overhanging rock 1t was shaking all
over as though in fit of ague. 1t paid
no heed to me and / fell back behind the
bend. Nat saw me and l signaled him to
81 have had great experience In killing
bears and knew that if we got this mon
ster great care must be taken; couldn't
for the life of me, however, tell what was
the matter with the beast. We decided
that the safest plan would be to climb up
on the cliff and shoot him from above.
above the strangely acting bruin and
could see the brute eyes. They glisten-
ed like two Goals of fire.
81 aimed at the right eye and Nat at
the left, and at a given signal we both
fired Roar followed roar, and when the
smoke had cleared away We saw the mad
dened monster writhing about on the
lilies die hard, and it was at least half an
hour before we dared come down from our
perch Then it was we saw what had
been the matter. cooled up beneath the
brush into which the bear had been star
ing was the largest rattlesnake / ever
saw. 1t was over five feet long and in the
middle was at least six inches In diameter.
The snake had charmed the bear or hyp-
Noticed it and that was the reason it was
trembling so when we came upon 1t"
THE BRIER PIPE.