Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1901-06-28
FIGHTING A WILDCA.
AN ADVENTURE THAT MADE ON
MAN SHY or THAT KIND OF oeAsT.

tie II willing 20 Go a Long wa
Around Co Avoid FerOcious Ant
mall, Even Though Science Say
They VIII Flee at Mana Approach.
"I have read in the papers certain
scientific assertions that no wild AMI
NAL will voluntarily attack or pursu
a human being, but that, on the con
trary, the fercest Of them, as tradition
and the tales OF woodsmen classif
them. Will make haste to escape tn
possible sight Of man, unless, in des
perate cases, hunger may urge It to up
proach him. its most dreaded foe, sucI
cases being extremely rare" seid :
matter Of fact and yeracious New YorI
business man.
"If that is so. I had little experi
ence once with q wild animal that mus
have been the most desperately hungr,
beast that ever longed for food. Thi
occurrence was In northwestern Penn
sylvania, where one winter had som,
business that called me ten miles from
the county town to one Of the back
woods districts. 1t was late In the aft
ernoon when l started on my return e
the village. The way was over a lone
ly, narrow, crooked mountain road, Dor
dered by deep woods much Of the dis
tnnce, Toward dusk, as | was round
Ing a short turn I'm the road. my horse
which had a good deal Of spirit, shiec
suddenly and sprang forward on
furious run.
"At the same instant an animal witt
glarlng eyes pumped down from some
where and landed in the sleigh at my
feet 1t had evidently leaped from g
tree at the horse, the quick movements
Of which nervous animal had defeated
that purpose, and the attacking anima.
had alighted with its fore feet on the
robe that lay across my lap. II glarec
furiously at me. with Its face not more
than two feet away, as It chung to the
robe with Its sharp claws, growing
iercely. I had never seen a wildcat
but knew instantly and instinctively
that had one to deal with here, an6
It seemed to be a 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 al
the butt.
"ClingIng to the reins with my leh
hand-the horse was running away
quickly drew the whip from the socket
and struck the wildcat on the heaG
with the heavy butt. That caused the
animal to loosen its hold on the robe
ard drop into the snow at the side OF
the sleigh, but the agile and furious
beast was up in the fraction of a sec.
and and with one 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 it con
stantly with destruction against some
rock or stump, / was obliged to dror
the relns and leave the result of the
runaway to chance, for the wildcat
was struggling desperately to gain 9
foothold in the sleigh and fight me al
close quarters. knew that II the
sleigh should happen to come into col
lislon with any obstacle heavy enough
TO wreck 1t | would be no match fol
the catamOunt now wrought to the ut.
most feroclty, lighting it on the slip.
ping snow, even If l were unharmed by
the collision, so strained every nerve
to conquer the determined beast while
! still possessed the advantage of foot.
hold in the sleigh.
"Once thought 1t was all up with
me, for as the sleigh was carried
abruptly round a short turn In the road
by the speeding horse one runner
struck a stone or root, and the sleigh
careened and ran at least 80 feet on the
other runner alone. / 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 its
balance on both runners again. A few
more blows after that, and was re.
Jolced to see the determined and tena-
clous beast first loosen one claw, hang
for a second or so by the other. while 1t
tried to seize the top OF the back OF the
sleigh again with its teeth. and then
tumble to the road and lie motionless
In the snow.
'I dropped back on the seat limp
and weak and too much unnerved TO
make the least effort to obtain control
OF the runaway which was still rush
ing wildly along the uncertain road
made still more uncertain by the gath
ering darkness. The horse ran at least
three miles farther and then began to
slow up and at last stopped half way
up long and steep hill from sheer
exhaustion. had by this time recov
cred sufficiently to take charge OF the
horse again and drive the rest of the
way to the town. which wasn't far.
and where | arrived with the horse
covered with foam, q sleigh splintered
and covered deep With scars and
scratches made by the desperate wild.
cat and myself so badly used pn ne