The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-01-13


driving at least half dozen claws we'll
home, and then, apparently realizing
that she had not good enough hold,
sprang lightly into the air from off the
body, alighting about a yard off. There
followed minute of sparring in the
air; the snake seemingly half afraid to
strike, the cat waiting on its every
movement.
Now the poisonous snake when pro-
voked is an irritable animal, and the
next attack Of the dryad. maddened by
the scratchings of puss and its own un-
successful exertions, was so furious,
and so close to myself, that shuddered
for the result. could not have left my
position on the sofa without almost
treading upon Stoffles, whose bristling
back was not yard from my feet. At
last, thought-as the blue dryad, for
one second coiled close as black silk
cable, sprang out the next as straight
and sharp as the piston-rod of an en-
gine-this lump of feline vanity and
conceit is done for, and-I could not
help thinking-it will probably be my
turn next! Little did l appreciate the
resources of Stotfies, who, without a
change in her vigilant pose, without a
wink CT her fierce green eyes, sprang
backward and upward on to the top Of
me, and there confronted the enemy
calmly as ever, sitting, if you please,
upon my feet!
Trembling all over with fright, l
could not but observe that she was
trembling too-with rage. The last
act rapidly approached, and no more
strategic catastrophe was ever seen.
For a snake, as everybody knows, natur-
ally rears its head when fighting. In
that position, though one may hit it
with a stick, it is extremely difficult,
| as this battle had shown, to get hold of.
Now, as the dryad. curled to a capital S,
quivering and kissing advanced for the
last time to the charge, it was bound
to strike across the edge of the sofa or
which lay. at the erect head of Stoffles,
which vanished with a juggling celebrity
that would have dislocated the collar
bone of any other animal in creation
From such an eNertion the snake re.
covered itself with an obvious effort
quick beyond question, but not nearly
quick enough. Before l could we'll sec
| that it had missed its aim, Stoffles had
| launched out like spring released, and
burying eight or ten claws in the back
of its enemy's head, pinned it down
against the stiff cushion of the sofa
The tail of the agonized reptile flung
wildly in the air and tapped on the
arched back of the imperturbable
tigress. The whiskered muzzle OF
Stotfies dropped quietly, and her teeth
met once, twice, thrice, like the needle
and hook of a se"ingmachine, in the
neck Of the blue dryad; and when, aft.
er much deliberation, she let it go, the
beast fell into a limp tangle on the floor
When saw that the thing was really
dead, / believe | must have tainted
Coming to myself, l heard hurried steps
and voices. Great heavens!" my hus
band was screaming. "Where has the
brute got TOP Its all right" said
:he engineer; "just you come and lool
here, old man. Commend me to the
GOODNESS of that cat. After the murder
of your priceless specimen, here's
Stofiles cleaning her fur in one of he,
serenest attitudes"
From the gland of the beast, as
afterward learned, they extracted
enough poison to be the death of q
full-grown human beings. Tight,
clasped between it's minute teeth was
found few long hairs, late the proper
ty of Stoffies.-From animal Episodes
and Studies in Sensation"