The Ordway new era., 1906-04-06
\ enrly days in Michigan q

and fine looking animal
nv father promptly took
Coon hunting being one OF
hers favorlte sports. which n
man named Bacon shared en-
sIeally with him. n few evenings
hev started out to try the new
/, moon shed n mild radiance
. forest and enabled them to
% actions OF the dog. aud In
hort time he had an animal of
ind up n big tree which stood
n an opening In the woods. and
Lon was a famous climber. up
y he went and soon made out
4 figure among the limbs above
hi as he approached the creature
jbed higher and higher until, at
nv top, IL turned and greeted
kuer with n deep warning growl.
kopped climbing, and in n tone
re which trcmbled In spite of
ne called out: 1T is wildcat,
klknap."
IN cut a club and knock him on"
my father.
ins and trimming n linn OF the
! make n suitable weapon. Dan
crawled up toward the brute.
finally took refuge In the top
uft OF branches. and slowly and
|lly raising the club above the
|sboye his head. where he could
|hll sweep for the blow, he struck
III h.i might. tnd-never touched
N ont into the air the cat sprang
kw the club coming, and so pow
Eas its jump that the limbs of
he were cleared entirely. and
resoundlnG tnump 1t struck tho
at quite n distance from the
a the tree. and to my fathers
ment spranG to ate feet and run
blue streak for another tree.
tog happened 20 oe at the other
4 the tree. and the eat was en-
10 get quite start In Its new
But so swift was tn dogs pursuit
BE- cnt was oyertaken ere the tree
kached. when, whirllng suddenly.
u,e sat up and with open paws
ktched waited The onset. Know
ihinc OF the dog'J fighting quail
Is father instantly concluded to
b entirely alone and note the re-
Coming with rush, and bark
briously. the dog dashed almost
b. cats face. but stopping just
of the cats grasp. as its paws
ID together like the jaws of n
Rrap. backed away few STEPS
fpeateG TIE threatening maneu-
IN the cats paws snapped 20
.ust In front of thc dogs nose.
and again Wa this repeated
The cat appeared to think that
y was not really IN earnest and
10 slap its jaws together.
the dog backed away. and this
Pie jump WIS in earnest. Once
the guard of the wildcat he seized
Us the chest, and that cat was
n ten seconds. and that dog
not then have been DO, ght for
ons days ago. In Western Iowa.
friend Jim Files found n stray
his door one morning, and as he
hat Jim called "sech an ornery
brute" Jim deliberated quite
before finally accepting him.
fas in the fall OF the year. and as
ent for his cows down In the bot
lnd below the house. the dog fol-
at his heels, and reaching the
what had been shallow pond
e spring, n small rattlesnalie
suddenly in front of them. IN n
up pit where a COW had some
'epped in the mud. leaving a de-
ph 1--WE or six inches deep. Its coil
completely hidden. leaving the
ana few inches of the neck
iheateningly above the surface,
1t ratified Il warning defiance
all comers.
dos sprang forward to attack.
uoush it was apparent that the
mad every advantage, Jim stood
watching, as he afterwards
Jest TO see what the little cuss
do"
roaching within a few feet the
'opped, and cooking his snail
one side for moment, studied
oolem. Walking slowly around
eircled the snake, Just beyond
|ach' but so close as to engage
reptiles attention. and as 1t
70 De in continuous readiness for
Oss attack, and as round and
,ae dog continued to walk, in a
ume the snake seemed to grow
anu Its head began to wobble
.,ae to side, when, quick MS n
'le dog jumped in and inserting
.a'o the hole Lung the rattle
'l'o the air, catching him in his
as ne came down, shook him to
"'nout receiving a scratch.
aOther time Jim was the owner
Jugs. One was Of medium size,
anu 1eroclous, and a good hunt
tne other urp0t nvorUrown