The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-03-07
How the Lynx whipped ur. Dog.

How the Lynx Whipped MT. Dog.
The coon had been out after
chicken for his Sunday dinner, and
was almost home again when he met
the 'possum, who said:
Eve been waiting for you and want
20 have a little talk. You know the
dog over there at the red farmhouse"
"Of course do, and bad dog he is"
replied the coon. "Ke chased me out
Of the cornfeld at least dozen times
last fall"
And now he's after me- continued
the 'possum, and I've got so scared
If him that hardly dare move from
my home. Can't we fix it to teach him
q lesson? Ii we had the woodchuck to
help US the three CT us might lick him
out of his hide"
My dear possum, neither you nor
the wocdchuck are fighters, and the
dog is too much for me alone. You
just hold on for While, however. A
lynx who is a friend of mine, and who
once helped me out of a fix, will soon
be here to winter in the swamp. When
he comes we'll make that dog wish
he had never been born"
Can a lynx whip dog?" asked the
'possum.
Can he? Well, should say so!
Why, a lynx can fight like a house
afire, and gets in three bites to dogs
one. Let me tell you a little story.
Two years ago this same lynx and
were living over in the big cranberry
marsh and having good time of it.
Game was plenty and we were getting
fat when a farmers dog took it into
his head to make trouble for me.
Every time l went out he got after
me, and sometimes l had close shave
of being caught. 1t was no use to talk
or argue with him, and so one day 1
went to the lynx and told him all
about it."
'And what did the lynx say?"
why, he was ready to help me at
once. He was big fellow with sharp
teeth and claws like carpet tacks, and
he was pleased with the idea of hav-
ing a fight. He told me just what to
do, and did it, and we had lots Of
fun over it. One night we started out
together and reached an old potato
field near the house. Then I left the
lynx and went on by myself 1 had to
go quite to the barn before the dog
scented me and came after me like a
young whirlwind l ran for the spot
where the lynx was hiding, and when
we got there the dog wasn't ten feet
behind me-"
"And the lynx jumped out on the
dog. did he?" asked the 'possum.
"You guess he did! Yes, sir, he
jumped out with his mouth wide open
and caught the dog by the throat, and
there was fight worth seeing. The
dog was no coward, but, bless you, the
lynx rolled him around. as if he was
nothing but rag doll. Pretty soon
the dos. tried to run away, but |
grabbed him by the tail and hung on,
and the lynx bit him till his hide was
full of holes. That dog would not have
got away alive, but the farmer hoard
the row and came down with a Ian
tern and club. He drove us away
and carried his dog to the house in
his arms, and though the dog didn't
die, he took good care not to NEEDLE
with me again that winter. used to
walk about almost under his nose. but
he wouldn't even make faces at me-
One night / called him coward and
dared him to come out behind the pig
pen and fight me, but he began bark
ing at polecat and never answered
me-"
"And you'll get the lynx to do some
thing in my case?" asked the 'possum
II certainly will. You just hold on
for about two weeks and we'll give
that dog such surprise party that he
won't know his ears from his hind
feet. I'm sleepy now and want to GO
to bed, but ] sha'n't forget your case
Keep quiet and say nothing, and when
the lynx arrives we'll fix up our plan
and Mr.. Dog will wish he was e. last
years lamb"