The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-08

no gun with him. bein' out arter roots,
while 1 had only the cartridge 1 was
heap to tackle. but I reckoned might
git a shot at one alone We follered
and follered, and finally got a shot ]
wounded cat, as we knowed by her
yell, and it turned out heap better
! than as If 1 had killed her, The three
made a rush through the woods, and
next mint we was hearin' sounds-to
make the ha'r, stand up on stone
Were they fighting among them
selves ?" 1 asked.
mo, suh-fur from it. We was clus
to that big chestnut tree, and they
ed all about the holler, and they plann-
ed to dodge in thar. Tom and me
couldn't make out at fust what the row
was all about. Thar was growlin' and
spittin' and hissin'. which was from the
cats shore huff, but we could hear
mems voices yellin' murder and police
and lots of other things. AS had f>Ni
my last bullet we hung back fur awhile,
but when we was shore that men and
cats was sumhow all mixed up, We de-
cided to advance. Lawd. sab, but sun
thin quare had happened.
And what was it?"
Wall, them TO revenoo fellers whA
had been snoopin' around had msA
camp in that holler tree, and they was
in thar eatin' luncheon, when the cats
piled in on 'em. You know the natur'
of a wild cat, do you?"
I've heard they were very savage"
Let me tell yo', sab, that thar amt
nuthin as walks or flies mo- savagerous
than a wildcat. She's allus on the look
out fur a fout, and big buzzsaw driv
at full speed by a ten Horsepower en-
CINE amt no match fur a full-grown
wildcat Them three cats was rippin'
mad from nose to tail, and when they
jumped into that boiler and found men
thar they was tickled half to death.
They just begin bizness right off.
and it wasn't ended when Tom and me
got thar. Lawd gave you,' but them
on 'em, and they was too upset to fight
at fust. They did some shootin' artcr
awhile, and one of the cats was killed
but If We hadn't come up I reckon the
TO men would hev knocked under. 1
got one o. their pistols and killed a cat
arter she had clawed my leg, and Tom
sent a bullet into the other jest as she
fastened to his foot"
asked.
IT never did see anythin' like it in
all my bon days. They had on light
clothes, and them clothes was Jest
clawed to strings. The only things that
wasn't tattered was their butes. Talk
of a man gittin' a fall into a thorn
bush. but it couldn't hold a candle!
Even their hair had been clawed out,
and fur every claw-mark thar was
bite to match.
Fur about an hour it 'peared as if
the TO men would die, and Tom and
me worked over them a good three
hours befo they could talk straight.
They had to go soInewhars, and though
they was spies and arter my STILL 1
took EN- into my own cabin No doc
tor was to be had around yere, and we
had our hands full fur a time. They
swelled all up with the pizen o the
cats and one day I jest sot out and
walked down to Bristol and told the
story to the judge.
He sent up a man to nurse 'em, to-
gether with a doctor, but it was TO
weeks befo' they could be moved home.
One of the head revenoO fellers came
up with wagons. and arter he had load
ed 'em UP he hands me $50 in cash and
snuffs his nose and says:
% 'Zeb White, did my men ever come |
to this yere cabin befo' they had the |
row with the cats?'
d" Reckon So, says I.
% And did they pear to smell any
him p
Can't say as they did,
:" Didn't pear to smell that still O. |
yours in the ktchen?
Z" No, sab.
- Then the hull crowd of 'em must |
new plugs driv up their noses, and I
shan't hev no further use fur EN-! I
eould take in the smell from the road!' /
Then he shifts some mo-, looks all |
around and drops his voice a leetle to
, 'Mebbe, however, I'm mistook in
hat smell, bein' as amt used to this |
air. Mebbe you are bilin' ma
pie sap? Yes, come to smell it again it
S maple sap, and if had time I'd like
% eat some new sugar with you on
lean chip. 1t amt again the law to
make sugar, Mr.. White, but you'd bet
er go out o. moonshine.'
But he knew / said, as the old