Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-03-31

young man named Bacon shared en-
Enthusiastically with him, few evenings
later they started out to try the new
dog.
A full moon shed a mild radiance
over the forest and enabled them t
note the actions of the dog, and in {
very short time he had an animal OF
some kind up big tree which stood
alone in an opening In the woods, an(
as Bacon was a famous climber, VI
the tree he went and soon made Ou
the dark figure among the limbs above
him, but as he approached the creature
1t climbed higher and higher until, a.
the very top, 1t turned and greeted
it's pursuer with a deep warning growl
Dan stopped climbing, and in a tone
of voice which trembled in spite oil
himself, ne called out: at is a wildcat
Mr.. Beknap"
"Well, cut a club and knock him of,
replied my father.
Cutting and trimming limb Of the
tree to make a suitable weapon, Dan
slowly crawled up toward the brute
which finally took refuge in the top
most tuft of branches, and slowly and
carefully raising the club above the
limbs above his head, where he could
have full sweep for the blow, he struck
with all his might, and-never touched
him.
Right out into the dir the cat sprang
as it saw the club coming, and so pow
erful was its jump that the limbs OF
the tree were cleared entirely, and
with a resounding tnump it struck the
ground at quite a distance from the
foot of the tree, and to my fathers
amazement sprang to itc feet and rar
like blue streak for another tree.
The cog happened TO be at the otheI
side of the tree. and the cat was en-
abled to get quite a start In its new
race, but so swift was the dogs pursuit.
that the cat was overtaken ere the tree
was reached, when, whirllng suddenly
the brute sat up and with open paws
Outstretched waited The onset. Know
ing nothing Of the dogs fighting quail
ties my father instantly concluded t.
let him entirely alone and note the re
suit. Coming with a rush, and bark
ing furlously, the dog dashed almos
into the cats face, but stopping JUS
short of the cats grasp, as its paws
snapped together like the Jaws of
steel trap, backed away few stept
and repeated the threatening maneu
yer.
Again the cats paws snapped 10
gether Just in front of the dogs nose
Again and again wac this repeated
until the cat appeared to think thai
the dog was not really IN earnest and
omitted to slap its jaws together
Again the dog backed away, and this
time the jump was In earnest. Once
inside the guard of the wildcat he seized
it across the chest, and that cat was
dead n ten seconds. and that dOe
could not then have been borght fol
money.
In long days ago, in Western Iowa
my old friend Jim Files found stray
dog at his door one morning, and as he
was what Jim called seen uH VrucI1
lOokin' brute" Jim deliberated quite
q while before finally accepting him.
1t was in the fall Of the year, and al
1'---. ---~-,. EOS; his nnws down in the bot
tom land below the house, the dog FOL
lowed at his heels, and reaching the
edge of what had been shallow POND
in the spring, a small rattlesnakt
coiled suddenly in front Of them, in
dried up pit where a cow had somt
time stepped in the mud, leaving a de
preston Ave or six inches deep. Its col
was completely hidden, leaving the
head and a few inches Of the necE
raised theatenlngly above the surface
while it ratified a warning defiance
against all corners.
The dog Sprang forward to attack
and though 1t was apparent that the
snake had every advantage, Jim stood
quietly watching, as he afterwards
said. "jest to see what the little cuss
would do"
Approaching within a few feet the
dog stopped and cooking his small
head to one side for Il moment, studied
the problem. Walking slowly around
he now circled the snake, just beyond
his reach, but so close as to engage
all the reptiles attention, and as II
strove to be in continuous readiness fol
the dogs attack, and as round and
round the dog continued to walk, In Q
short time the snake seemed to grow
dizzy, and its head began to wohble
from side to side, when, quick as
fash, the dog jumped in and inserting
paw into the hole Aung the rattle
snake into the air, catching him in his
mouth as he came down, shook him tc
death without receiving scratch.
At another time Jim was the owner
of two dogs, One was a medium size
active and ferocious, and good hunt
er, and the other q great overgrowr
good natured brute, could hardly be
made to lay hold Of anything, When
ever he could be indu Hed to seize hold
Of another animal he always shut his
eyes first as he took hold and KEEP
them tightly shut until no let go,
Jim was hunting along the bank OIL
the river one day wit both dogs along
when he saw An otter swimming in the
river, and promptly put a rife ball Int
him, aiming at the head.
The otter was hard hit, and though
1t struggled and swan awkwardly
around, it soon became apparent thai
It was trying to swim down around
bend of the stream, where a pile oi
driftwood offered a refuge.
The smaller dog was easily sent in t.
attack the otter, but though badly
wounded the otter could still proven
the dog from swimming with him t.
the bank, and 1t began to look al
though he would eventually tire the
dog out. After much persuasion thu
big do was finally induced to swim
In to his assistance.
Swimming up to The lighting pail
the big brute shut it's eyes tightly Rnt
made a grab for the otter, when at tina
instant, the other dogs head coming
in the way, he seized him by the sidC