The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-11-09
GOT THE BIGGEST SQUIRREL
That Achievement Led James stone
Up AGAINST the nigpest Wildcat.

Up AEainst the uiHgest Wildcat.
Il shot a squirrel once that WAS two
Feet and half long and weighed Ave
pounds, said James Stone of Mercer
county, Pa, and although | believe
hat squirrel was the biggest one ever
killed In Pennsylvania or anywhere
Else, guess. it was all the more re-
markable because II | hadn't killed 1t.
| wouldn't now hold the record for
aaving killed the biggest wildcat the
State ever got rid of
Il was out for squirrels In the noun
aims near my place and had made
BAG big enough To go home With, when
saw something bounding through the
.op of an oak tree that startled me. 1t
was SO big that | thought some fox
must have suddenly become seized
With the power of climbing trees and
icurryine through the branches az 4
vas exercising it, | wasn't SO startled,
however. that let the big animal get
lway from me. fred, and down 1t
came tumbling to the ground
That's satisfactory. said to my
self. Now. let's see what we've killed
Il took couple e steps toward the
spot where the game was lying, and
hen stopped SO suddenly that | almost
Tell over backward
This said To myself again isn't
luite SO satlsIactors. and | guess we
won't see what we've killed. Just yet
In I.,sl, !, -, 4,..,t
ahead Of me. and between me and the
tree out of which | had shot the ami
nal that had STARTLED me. lay wild
at. the like of which | had never seen
before. 1t had evidently been lying
there In wait for Its dinner, and per-
naps had Its eye on the animal had
shot However that might be. the big
.at now had its eye ON me, and | didn't
ike the way that eye glared, either.
At first thought | would cull every
hing square as it was. leave my un-
known dead game for the wildcat to
line on, and 30 home without further
investigation Then IL seemed to me
That IL | reiterated thus, and told my
adventure when | got home, IA | GER
tatnly couldn't help doing. | would
naturally be looked at somewhat with
suspicion; SO | resolved To save my
equation. enlarge my geological
knowledge. and also get the 81 bounty
IN that Wildcats scalp. put in big
iouble charge of squirrel shot and pre-
pared for action.
The wildcat remained on the limb.
'rouchng AZ IL ready to leap upon me.
emitting the low, savage growls or
snarls peculiar to Ms kind when en-
ragged. The animal WAS twenty five
feet away. but az it Is no trick at all
Tor IA wildcat to spring distance of
thirty feet, even on the level. | knew
his one could easily launch itself upon
me II 1t was SO inclined Consequent
y, did not wait for this possible overt
act on It's part. but fired
The immense beast leaped straight
up from the limb when the charge
struck 1t. Falling back IL caught with
he iang. sharp claws of It's forepaws
IN the limb again. where IL hung,
writing and filling the woods with
'rightful yells. They wore 80 frightful.
IN fact, that | was almost forced to
abandon the field after all and leave
The wildcat to fight It out by Itself.
lust then, though, blood began to pat
.er down from the wound my shot had
made, and loaded up to give the ami
nal another shot. Before | could do
thNf uilIauI'u Hal a.. 4.
relaxed, and the animal came tumbling
10 the ground II lay still for II sec
md but then. badly wounded as IL
was, rose to It's feet ANA rushed at me
With shurt, quick bounds | had no
time for reflection, but blaZcd away
again. So herce was the assault OF
that Infatuated wildcat that. although
that last charge filled It's heart and
lungs with shot. It did act lessen the
velocity Qf tbs assault, and the animal
lashed right on. striking me on the
breast with Its huge. sharp claws.
which closed spasmodically on my
clothing IA they struck. The force
with which the wildcat hurled Itself
against me threw me backward to tho
ground. ana the cat fell square upon
me. But the great brute was dead
had been dead, In fact. before 1t reach
ed me. crawled hastily from under
The dead animal. drenehed from head
to foot with It's blood.
After recovering MS much of nv
equanlmity as | could upder the ctr
eumstanees, | proceeded to investigate
the other thing | had killed could
scarcely believe my eyes whom | saw
1t. 1t was squirrel, true enough, but
bigger than any three OF tho biggest
sqnirrels ! had lp my bag. and | had
some big ones, 1t was as red aa a red
fox and with brush almost az long
Tho wildcat measured nearly Ave feet
IN length and three-foot wildcat ia n
big one.