The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1904-04-22
The Story
OFF, Cat
The Evolution Of a Domestic Pet
Into a wild Beast.

The lrst time that saw "seotty" he
chi!dren on tho vorandn OF summer
s s,ttEs IN Maine The youngsters
arranged ana r aPp pg.sfa h line a flbsnn
on his neck. and the big ca evidently
enjoyed II all, for. instead ~ running
ssw I,yy ne marched about with arehed
sides against the legs OF his playmates.
For week or two after this I often
SOW TINS clt. an enormous gray fellow
with any member OF tho houaehoid who
would play with him. But one day
,feisg as,,, came for the men who lived n
Immediate preparations 10 leave for the
West In the general excitement nobody
tnousht q The CT until the question. is
baby; who now appeared with "scotty."
his head elaaped tight 20 her bosom.
ana 'he res, OF his body trailing on The
hin, OF course. but their mother and
father, realizing tho difficulties In the
way Of taking the cat, decided TO leave
enough TO be well looked after BY the
neighhnrH And In this they were partly
riGht' ior as soon as the house was va
come at any OF the other cottages ne
chose TO visit But BY and by tho au-
tnmn came. and. with II. chilly days.
which drove the eottnEerH, a few at a
time, back 10 the cities. on the lat OF
october the last family left the place
and "ScottY'' was alone
For little while he got along without
hardship The weather was not very cold
yet, and In barrel at the hack OF one Of
the houses he found scraps which lasted
/ get hungry, for the nrat time In his life,
/ aud he wandered from one deserted gar
den TO another. hunting for something TO
/ eat Now and then he would leap 10
/ the window Bllls OF houses where he had
| often been fed. and meou plaintiveiy In
hopes OF gaining admission,
one. morning. when he had been with
| out food for two days there came a
Hurry OF snow. and with Il a mock OF
| juncos, which allghted In tho yard where
the scraps had been, "scotty' was
erouohing close 20 the back steps when
they arrived and In an instant his whole
body took on an attitude OF attention. Hs
was hungry, aud there was breakfast
il. wv ''U '"'' 'A'''
Silently. he pressed his body closer Il
the ground, and, slowly as the hand OF I
clock. he moved towards the busy grouI
OF slate-colored birds, In his eyes theri
was cruel look which had never beer
there before. and which became intensine'
he gathered his legs well under him, and
leaning forward. he sprang forward a
though thrown, from, a ,eatanult Their
tho scattering snow, and a iiekering o
white tail-feathers as the Juncos No,
away-that Is, as an but one flew away
se,ot,S e ,,o,,ls On che spot wher
side 10 side, and growling AS well aa b
could With his teeth buried IN the bod
o. hl ho victim, In shst hour selfsreiitne
about the gardens or meou beseochingl
on the window-aillF, he seemed to reaiia
that he could satisfy his hunger only b
capturing living creatures. and these h
hunted from daylight until dark An
u did not take MIA long TO lind out tina
more game was TO be had In the wood
than near the houHea, 30 into the wood
he went and made his home In the hollo
Of a fallen tree into which enough leave
! had drifted 70 make him a bed often
most starved 10 death, but rabbit mo-
and a squirrel then Kept the llfo In nj
body until spring Then the migrant birt
began 10 return, and whom they came II
tired and listesa from their long journey
he found them easy prey afcr the war
creatures he had hunted during the VIII
7 ter. And when thoy began 10 nest 81
work became easlor still ana he coul
either dovsag n en- ~ ,ne nest or IA
J upon them - ney hlundered about 9
IN some respects THAI % fox or a skunl
b Tor he could climb. and nothing was al
; | from him. Among other birds he kill,
! pheasantH ana grouse, and during n
4 | spring summer and autumn he deatroys
more game than any other creature
] ! his territory
. one and In spite ~ "Scottya" great cul
ming ana agility re often went hung
: for days Al a uins. ono bitter night.
= he was stalking half amifhed over Il
! snow. he started -eroHs an open space
Z the forest NeNt morning thai opS
> space looked like a battlefield. and 4
deed Il was one for the snow was plowl
q up for many yards around, and dyed VII
. blood Feathers and gray FUR wo
n strewn IN a wide circle. on the outer ed
. Of which lay nangled horned owl wi
. his mighty tAlons buried 10 the HIT
! the back OF gray tom cit.-Erne
= Post