The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-10
"SCOTTY" The a2 s 8:s.
BY ERNEST HAROLD BAYNEs.
y \ \ ~ \ : = = x ~ \ = ~ 44'Nss

HE first time that I saw "Scotty'' he was sur
rounded by a group Of admiring children on
the veranda of a summer cottage in Maine.
The Youngsters stroked his fur and pulled his
tall and arranged and re-arranged blue uDoon on
his neck and the big evidently enjoyed it all for
instead of running away he marched about with
arched back and tail erect rubbing his sleek SIDES
against the legs of his pIaymates
For a week or two after 1 often this cat,
an enormous gray fellow with black bars, romplng
good naturally with any member or the housenolo
who would play with him But one day telegram
came for the man VINO hFed IN the eotsese' anu i ne
and his family made immediate preparations TO leave
tIogbt of fbe cat until The question rs pussy gon
too?" called attention the baby, who now appeared
with "Scotty" his head clasped tight TO her BOSOM
and the rest of his body trailing on floor All
the children wanted take him. Of course but their
mother and father realizing the difficulties IN the
1av of taEnE the cat decided 10 leave him. believing
that he was popular enough be well looked after
by the neghbOrs And in this they were parity lghI,
for as soon as the house was vacant the big gray
cat found a warm welcome at any of the other
tages chose to visit. But by and by the autumn
came, and with chilly days which drove the cot
taRers a few at time. back TO cities. on the
LIST of October the last family left the place and
For a little while got along without hardship
The weather very cold yet, and in barrel at
lasted for several days After that he began to get
hungry. time in his life and he wandered
something to eat. Now and then he would leap
the window sls of houses where he had often been
fed and meou paintiveiy in hopes OF gaining admit
lance.
One morning, when he had been without food for
two days, there came furry of snow, and with II
flock Of juneos which alighed in the ysrd where the
scraps had been "ScOttv crouching close To the
back steps when they arrived ana IN an instant MS
whole body took attitude Of attention He was
hungry, and there a breakfast close before him
II he could only catch IT. silently ne pressed MS body
closer to the ground, and, slowly the hand of
clock, he moved toward the busy grOup of slate
eoiored brds. in his eyes there was 9 cruel look
which had been there before and which became
intensified he drew nearer to his At last he
gathered his legs wen under MN, and leaning for
ward, he sprang forward as though thrown from
catapult. There was "whirr' Of small wings
amongst the scattering and Pickering Of white
tail-feathers the jUneos few away-that is. ali
but one flew away. SaOtty crOuched on the spot
where he landed, switching his tail augTily from side
to side, and growing well he could with his
teeth buried in the body of his victim In that hour
self-relianee born in him. No longer did he
prowl about the gardens or meou beseechingly on
the window eills he seemed to realize that he could
satisfy his hunger only by capturing living creatures
and these ne hunted from Daylight until dark. And
it did not take him long to find out that game
to be had in the woods than The houses. so
into the woods he went, and made his home the
hollow of fallen tree into which enough leaves had
drifted 10 make him bel. often he went desper-
ately hungry and once he almost starved TO death
but rabbit and squirrel then kept the life in
his body until spring. Then the migrant birds began
return, when they came in, tired and lisless
from their long journeys, he found them easy prey
after the wary creatures he had hunted during the
winter. And when they began to nest his work
became easier still and could either devour them
in the nest or fall upon them as they blundered abor
on the ground AS a DESTROYER he was worse in some
respects than fox q skunk, for he could climb
and nothing was safe from him Among other birds
he killed pheasants and grouse and during the spring
summer and autumn he destroyed game than
any other creature in his territory.
The following winter a very hard one. and in
often went hungry for days at a time one bite
night. he stalking half famished, over the
snow, ne started open space in the forest
Next morning that open space looked like a hattie
HELD and, indeed, * for the was
poughed UP for many yards around and dyed with
blood. Feathers and gray fur strevn in a wide
horned owl its mighty taIons buried to the hilt
in the back of a gray tom cat.