The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-04-26
FIGHTING A WILDCAT.
AN ADPENTURE THAT MADE ONE
MAN SHY

to Go "a long Way Around TO Avoid
science says They wan Flee at Mans
Approach.
II have read in the papers certain
scientific assertions that no wild AMI
NAL will voluntarily attack or pursue
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 1T to APP
proach him, it's most dreaded foe, such
cases being extremely rare" SAID q
matter of fact and veracious New York
business man.
IF that is so, I had a little expert
ence once with 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 / had some
business that called me ten miles from
the country town to one of the back
woods districts. 1t was late in the al
ternoon when / started on my return TO
the village. The way was over lone
ly, narrow, crooked mountain road, Dor
dered by deep woods much OF the DIS
lance Toward dusk as | was round
ing a short turn in the road, my horse,
which had good deal of spirit, SHE'D
suddenly and sprang forward on a
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
tree at the horse, the quick movements
of which nervous animal had defeated
that purpose, and the attacking animal
had alighted with it's fore feet on the
robe that lay across my lap. 1t glared
furiously at me, with it's face not more
than two feet away, as it clung to the
robe with its sharp claws, growing
fiercely. / had never seen wildcat,
but / knew instantly and instinctively
that / had one to deal with here, and
it seemed to be very large and saw
age one at that. I had no weapon, but
fortuna tely the whip that stood in it's
socket on the dashboard was loaded at
the butt.
"Clinging to the reins with my left
hand-the horse was running aWay-I
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 sec
ond and with one bound sprang on the
back Of the sleigh which had 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 aginst some /
rock or stump, I was obliged to drop |
the reins and leave the result Of the |
to chance, for the wildcat |
was struggling desperately to gain a
foothold in the sleigh and fight me at /
close quarters. / knew that if the |
sleigh should happen to come into coll
lision with any obstacle heavy enough |
to wreck it j would be no match for
the catamount, now wrought TO the ut
most ferocity, fighting 1t on the slip
ping snow, even if I We're unframed by
the collision, so I strained every nerve
to conquer the determined beast while
I still possessed the advantage Of foot /
hold in the sleigh.
"Once | thought it 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 stone or root, and the sleigh
and ran at least so feet on the
)ther runner alone. | mechanically
brew the weight Of my body toward
he upper side of the sleigh, all the
line raining rapid blows on the head
If the wildcat with the butt of the
whip, and forced the sleigh down to its
,alnce on both runners again. A few
more blows after that, and l was re-
DICED to see the determined and tena-
ious beast first loosen one claw, hang =
or a second or SO by the other while it
ried to seize the top of the back of the
leigh again with its teeth, and then
umble to the road and lie motioness
n the snow.
L QTDpDGu DdCk UH the seat imp |
nd weak and too much unnerved to
make the least effort to obtain control
f the runaway, which was still rush
ng wildly along the uncertain road,
1ade still more uncertain by the gath /
ring darkness, The horse ran at least l
hree miles farther and then began to 6
low up and at last stopped half way 6
p a long and steep bill from sheer r
] had by this time recov- c
red sufficiently to take charge of the I
orse again and drive the rest Of the C
'ay to the town, which wasn't far h
nd where / arrived with the horse ]
overed with foam, sleigh splintered e
nd covered deep with scars and o
ira tches made by the desperate Wild v
at and myself SO badly used up by t
ervous shock that it was three days a
efore | was able to get about again Il
anything like. good condition. I I
ever heard whether the wildcat was c
illed by my blows or not but / have k
n idea he was. | hope so. Science e
Jay be all right in declaring that wild I
ninals will hasten to flee at the very g
lspicion of mans approach, but if ii
yer I am going anywhere and hear
lere are wildcats in that direction I'll S
, around some other way. New b