Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-05-25
FIGHTING A WILDCAT
AN ADVENTURE THAT MADE ONE
MAN SHY OF THAT KIND OF BEAST.

mails, Even Though Science Says
They VIII Flee at Mans Approach.
81 have read in the papers certain
scientific assertions that no wild ami
NAL will voluntarily attack or pursue
a human being, but that, on the con-
trary, the fiercest 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 4
matter of fact and Yeracious New York
business man.
IF that is so, had n little expert
snce once with n 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 L had some
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 1 started on my return to
the village. The way was over lone
~, narrow, crooked mountain road, Dor
dered by deep woods much of the dis
lance. Toward dusk, as l was round
ing a short turn in the road, my horse,
which had u good deal OF spirit, SHE'D
suddenly and sprang forward on
furious run.
AT the same instant an animal with
glaring eyes pumped down from some
where and landed in the sleigh at my
feet. 1t had evidently leaped from 4
tree ut the horse. the quick movements
of which nervous animal had defeated
that purpose, and the ATTACHING animal
had alighted with its fore feet on the
robe that lay across my lap. 1t glared
furiousIy at me, with its face not more
than two feet away, as it chung to the
robe with its sharp claws, growing
fiercely l had never seen a wildcat,
but knew instantly and instinctively
that 1 had one 20 deal with here, and
it seemed to be a very large and saw
age one at that. had no weapon, but
fortunately the whip that stood in its
socket on the dashboard was loaded at
the butt.
"CInging 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 TO loosen its hold on the robe
and drop into the snow at the side of
the sleigh, but the agile and furious
beast was up in the fraction of n sec
and and with one bound sprang on the
back of the sleigh, which had n low
body.
although the horse was running
crooked road, throwing the sleigh from
side TO side and threatening it 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 Il
foothold in the sleigh and fight me at
close quarters. / knew that if the
sleigh should happen to come into col
lision with any obstacle heavy enough
to wreck it l would be no match for
the catamount, now wrought to the ut
most ferocity, fighting it on the slip
ping snow, even if were unframed by
the collision. so l strained every nerve
to conquer the determined beast while
still possessed the advantage of foot
hold in the sleigh.
"Once 1 thought it was all up with
me, for as the sleigh was carried
abruptly round short turn in the road
by the speeding. horse one runner
struck stone or root, and the sleigh
careened and ran at least 90 feet on the
other runner alone. l 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 runners again. A few
more blows after that, and l was re-
joiced to see the determined and tena-
cious beast first loosen one claw, hang
for a second or so by the other, while it
tried to seize the top of the back of the
sleigh again with its teeth, and then
to the road and lie motionless
in the snow.
81 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 a long and steep hill from sheer
exhaustion. l 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 1 arrived with the horse
covered with foam, a sleigh splintered
and covered deep with scars and
scratches made by the desperate wild
cat and myself so badly used up by
nervous shock that it was three days
before 1 was able to get about again /
in anything like good condition. |
never heard whether the wildcat was /
killed by my blows or not but have
an idea he was. 1 hope so. Science /
may be all right in declaring that wild i
will hasten to flee at the very |
suspicion of mans approach, but if /
ever l am going anywhere and hear