Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-31

bumped cur way over tho turnpike 10 INV
top OF sullivan county, and then turned
INTO the old Texas road, picking up Le"
| Boyd and his hound on the way. lhIee
miles further on the Gray road strlkos
| out TO the east at right angles. here W
| dismissed the wagon. chained the houhu'
ana walked on I'M the direction OF Gray
swamp. At the head OF Gray swamp we
| found the tracks OF n big cat pointing TO-
| ward the swamp, and a,few yards further
| on we came upon similar track crossing
| the road I'm the opposite direction lie"
| asserted confidently that the two tracks
were made that day and by the sdiiie
animal. and the question remained TO De
decided on which side Of the ROAD he "as
at that moment. lie was OF the opliloii
that the cat was In Long Swamp. 80 we
trudged through the woods Ior INV
miles along tho top Of low ridge
1--WE passed innumerdble deer tracks on
the way. Az We neared Long Swamp we
put up fine deer that went dashihs OH
toward Port Jervis, and little later an
other iuInped through she brush close by
Long Swamp is Of the shape Of an enor-
nous two-hngered hand, covering nun
dreds Of acres. After we gained the
swamp the sun went under the clouds
and even the instinct Of direction pos
sessed by Lew Boyd, trained woodsman
az he is, was at fault. We made our way
out by the aid Of my pocket compass.
ION the west edge Of the swamp we
cSme suddenly upon n place where lhe
ground was torn and trampled Iutts Oh
hair and pieces Of pelt lay about on the
blood-stained snow, and there was every
sign of terrific struggle. on the edge
Of the battle-ground lay the paunch Of
deer, and a few feet further on we iOuhu
It's head and spine. gnawed clean. me
work had been done two nights DeIore'
and from all signs this had been no run
ming battle OF miles. The tragedy had all
been enacted within few feet ana we
both felt a new aspect for the animal
that could do away with a nearly lul-
grown deer. Lew cut through to skirt
the east end of the swamp in quest OF
fresh track. and | went up Handy Hlil,
I'm the opposite direction, 10 look over
smaller swamp in the vicinity.
THE cat amt here Lew announced
definitely when we met again. He's back
i'm Gray swamp
Gray swamp is the worst place in Sui
dvan county. 1t is almost impenetrable.
NJ g. perfectly fiat, and in addition 10 the
usual dense underbrush, II Is oyergrown
with laurel, whose branches are inter-
laced so deity that il seems impossible
for any creature 10 get through. / would
not cross Gray Swamp for money, for
wildcat ! might. Unless he had winded
or sighted US the. animal was somewhere
in the neighborh6od, and we had reduced
all likely hiding places to the depths
Of this swamp. Lew told me TO 50 I'm
and select as open a position as / could
find, while he walked around the swamp
to look for tracks leading out. I wrig-
I tf.r.. rrrIrF thrnrruh
the brush until l found a well-worn
deer path, along which I came upon
several OF their round beds. one OF
them. q little larger than the others, was
surrounded by the tracks, not much
larger than a copper cent, Of two lawns
IL was pretty tough work getting inside
OF that swamp, and long before l had a
suitable position / heard the deep bay
Of the hound. A moment later some
thing heavy bounded through the brush
within fifty feet Of me. / couldn't see
q thing but laurels, and so I kept still
and cursed my luck. My only chance
was TO remain quiet and wait for the dog
to Anng the animal around again. After
the dog passed / hunted around until l
found q fallen log, from the top OF when
I could see for a few yards about me.
The sounds Of the hunt held on quite to
the IurflGF eQRc OF lllb eNoiAPf am N'i~'-
gradually turned.
suddenly something 1.-THE and soft and
graceful made a curying leap over the
brush. caught another glimpse Of the
tavny skin "a few feet further on. aimed
at II quickly, and fired. The thing drop
ped and sank slowly among the bushes.
Ii looked as though 1t lay crouching for
n spring when l worked my way to IT,
its face toward me, and the fire in It's
eyes not yet dead. a moment later the
dog burst through the brush and buried
his teeth I'm tho cats neck without mo-
ment's hesitation. That hound is Of the
Josh Cole breed strain known through
out this region for honesty, gameness'
and grit. Many a good dog will finch
from a wildcat dead or alive But this
one went at it as though he had never
known any other kind Of business"
The dead wildcat measured feet 8 IL
inches from tip TO tip, and stood q
inches high at the shoulder. The hide is
being mounted for Judge Crane