The Dickinson press., 1901-04-13
IGHHlNGAWIIDCAT
AN ADVENTURE THAT MADE ONE
MAN shy OF THAT KIND OF BEAST.

scientific assertions that no wild ami
NAL will voluntarily attack or pursue
q human being, but that, on the con-
trary, the 1ercest Of them, as tradition
and the tales of woodsmen classify
them. will make ,haste to escape the
possible sight Of man. unless, in des-
perate cases, hunger may urge it to ap-
proach him, Its most dreaded foe, such
cases being extremely rare," said a
matter of fact and veracious New York
business man.
IF that is 30, I had a little expert
ence nee with a wild animal that must
have been the most desperately hungry
beast that ever longed for food. The
occurrence was in northwestern Penn
sylvania, where one winter I had some
business that called me ten miles from
the county town to one of the back
woods districts. It was late in the aft
ernoon when I started On my return to
the village. The way was over a lone
", narrow, crooked mountain road, bor-
dered by deep woods much of the dis
lance. Toward dusk, as l was round-
ing q short turn in the road, my horse,
which had a good deal Of spirit, SHE'D
suddenly and sprang forward on n
furious run.
eat the same instant an animal with
glazing eyes pumped down from some
where and landed in the sleigh at my
feet. It had evidently leapcd from a
tree ut the horse, the quick movements
of which animal had defeated
that purpose, and the attacking animal
had alighted with its fore feet OH the
robe that lay across my lap. 1t glarcd
f~uriously ut me, with its face not more
than two feet away, as it chung to the
robe with it's sharp claws, growing
Hereby. l had seen n wildcat.
but l knew instantly and instinctively
that I had one to deal with here, and
It seemed to be q very large and saw
age one at that. l had no weapon, but
fortunately the whip that stood in its
socket on the dashboard was loaded at
the butt.
"Clinging to the reins with my left
hand-the horse was running away-l
quickly drew the whip from the socket
and struck the wildcat on the head
with the heavy butt. That caused the
animal ID. loosen its hold on the robe:
and drop Into the snoM at the side of
the Sleigh, but the agile and furious
beast was up In the fraction Of a sec
and and with n bound sprang on the
back Of the sleigh. which had a low
body.
although the horse was running
madly away along the narrow and
crooked road. throwing the sleigh from
side to side and threatening 1t con-
stantly with destruction against some
rock or stump. l was obliged to drop
the reins and leave the result of the
runaway to chance. for the wildcat
was struggling desperately to gain a
foothold in the d. and fight me at
close quarters. Jew that II the
sleigh should happen to come into col
lision with any obstacle heavy enough
to wreck Il l would be no match for
the catamount, now wrought to the ut
most ferocity, fighting 1t on the slip
ping snow, even If I were unharmed by
the collision, DO l stfnined every nerve
to conquer the determined beast while
1 still possessed the advantage of foot
hold in the sleigh.
"Once I thought It was all up with
me, for as the. sleigh was carried
abruptly round a Short tnrn in the road
by the speeding horse one runner
struck a stone OF q root, and the sleigh
careened and ran at least so feet on the
other runner alone. II mechanically
threw the weight Of my body toward
the upper side Of the sleigh, all the.
time raining rapid blows on the head
Of the wildcat with The butt Of the.
whip, and forced the sleigh down to it's
balance on both runnert again. IA few
more blows after that. and / was re-
1oiced to see the determined and tena-
cious beast first loosen io1ne claw, hang
for q second 81, so BY thSS other. while It
tried to seize the ton ofthe back Of the
sleigh again with its teeth. and then
tumble to the road and lie notionless
in the snow. s'9
II dropped back on the seat limp
and weak and too mudh unneryed to
make the least. erort to obtain control
Of the runaway, which was stuI. rush
ing wildly along the uncertain road.
made still more uncertain BY the gath
er1ng Darkness. The horse ran atleaSt