Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-09
STORY OF A CAT
What Happened to Scotty
After Desertion.
AHARDWINTER'S FIGHT
TROUBLE 10 GET ENOUGH TO
EAT.
Just as Spring Was Near Fell q Vic
tim Himself to Horned
Owl.

nc tlHlC tudt saw 0COtty uc won
| surrounded by group Of admiring chill
dren on the veranda Of summer cottage
in Maine. The youngsters stroked his fur
and pulled his tail. and arranged and re-
arranged blue ribbon on his neck, and
the big cat evidently enjoyed it ALL for, in
stead of running away, he marched about
with arched back and tail erect, rubbing
his sleek sides against the legs Of his play
mates.
For week or two after this often saw
this cat, an enormous gray fellow. with
black bars, romping good-naturedly with
any member of the household who would
play with him. But one day q telegram
came for the man who lived in the cottage
and he and his family made immediate
preparations to leave for the west. In the
general excitement nobody thought of the
cat, until the question, 'Is pussy goin
| appeared with .'Scotty," his head clasped
tight to her bosom, and the rest of his body
trailing on the floor. All the children
wanted TO take him. of course, but their
mother and father, realizing the difficulties
in the way of taking the cat decided to
leave him, believing that he was popular
enough to be well looked after by the
| neighbors. And N this they were partly
right, for as soon as the house was vacant,
the big gray cat found warm welcome
at any OF the other cottages he chose to
visit. But by and by the autumn came,
and with 1t, chilly days, which drove the
cities. On the LIST Of October the last fam
lily left the place and "Scotty'' was alone
Had to Watch Close.
For little while he got along without
hardship. The weather was not very cold
yet, and In a barrel at the back Of one Of
the houses he found scraps which lasted
for 40 %Iok 10
get hungry, for the first time in his life
and he wandered from one deserted garden
to another hunting for something to eat.
Now and then he would leap to the window
sills Of houses where he had often been fed
and meou plaintively in hopes of gaining adj
mittance.
One morning, when he had been without
food for two days, there came a furry Of
snow and with 1t flock of juncos. which
alighted in the yard where the scraps had
been. Scotty was crouching close to the
back steps when they arrived. and in an in
slant his whole body took on an attitude
of attention. He was hungry and there
was breakfast close before him-if he
his body closer to the ground. and. slowly
as the hand of a clock he moved toward
the busy group of slate-colored birds.
Hunger Did It.
In his eyes there was a cruel look which
had never been there before. and which be-
came intensified as he drew nearer to his
prey. At last he gathered his legs well
under him, and, leaning forward he sprang
forward as though thrown from catapult.
There was "whirr" of small wings
among the scattering snow and a flicker
ing Of white tail-feathers the juncos
flew away-that Is, as all but one flew away.
Scotty crouched on the spot where he land
ed switching his tail angrily from side to
side and growing as well as he could with
his teeth buried in the body Of his victim.
In that hour self-reliance was born in him.
No longer did he prowl about the gardens
or meou beseechingly on the window-sills;
he seemed to realize that he could satisfy
his hunger only by capturing living crea-
lures and these he hunted from daylight
until dark; and it did not take him long to
find out that more game was to be had in
the woods than near the houses, so into
the woods he went, and made his home in
the hollow of a fallen tree into which
enough leaves had drifted to make him
bed.
Hard Times Of It.
Often he went desperately hungry, and
once he almost starved to death, but a rab-
bit now and a squirrel then. kept the life
in his body until spring. Then the migrant
birds began to return, and when they came
in, tired and listless from their long jour-
neys he found them easy prey after the
wary creatures he had hunted during the
work became easier still and he could
either devour them in the nest or fall upon
them as they Numbered about on the
ground. AS a destroyer he was worse in
some respects than a fox or skunk, for
he could climb. and nothing was safe from
him. among other birds he killed pleas
ants and grouse and during the spring,
summer and autumn he destroyed more
game than any other creature in his terri
tory.
The following winter was very hard
one. and in spite of "Scottys' great cum
ming and agility he often went hungry for
days at time. One bitter night, as he
W; stalking, half famished. over the snow,
he started across an open space in the
forest. Next morning that open space
looked like a battle field, and indeed 1t
was one, for the snow was ploughed up for
many yards around and dyed with blood
Feathers and gray fur were strewn in
wide circle, on the outer edge of which lay
a mangled horned owl, with his mighty
talons buried to the hilt in the back Of a