Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1907-04-15
CAT KILLS RATTLEsNAKE.
Remarkable Feat of a Feline Camp
Pet

Minneapolis Tribune-Life in a
railroad camp at It's best is a hard
humdrum existence, but men, no mat
ter where they are or what may be
the conditions under which they earn
and eat their daily bread, will find
some way to pass the tedious hours
while they rest their weary frames.
Such camp was the scene of one
OF the strangest battles between two
widely different species one warm
Sunday afternoon three years ago.
The place was on the Great Western
railway, among the rugged hills of
Iowa, just over the Minnesota line.
1t was there that gang of about 100
men watched a fight to the death be-
tween mans worst enemy, a big rat
tlesnake, and the pet of the camp, a
half grown kitten.
Somehow, from somewhere, this
kitten had come and cast it's lot
among the rough laborers, attracted
perhaps by the promise of food from
the company's boarding car. 1t
quickly made friends with the lonely
men, but it was wild and hard to ap-
proach, although it tried to be friend
ly, and, in spite of the life she had
led, was a pretty animal of the
striped, or tiger variety. On this
particular Sunday afternoon the men
were passing their time as best they
could, gathered around the bunk cars
when one of them noticed the camp
cat circling around a certain spot on
the right-Of-way. The cat was lash
ing herself with her tail and seemed
wild with fright and injury.
The workers gathered quickly, form
ing a ring, and the reason for the cats
strange action was found to be {
large RATHER, coiled into the sand
with it's head raised to strike and its
rattles playing lively hum of warn
ing. The cat paid no attention to the
gathering of the men and the GROVE
remained quiet, watching proceedings
curious to see what would be the out
come. Round and round went Tab
by, each time making her circle
smaller. With eyes shining like liv
ing Goals of fire, her fur stood OF
end, and the white froth streamet
from her champing jaws. CrouchinE
low carefully and guardedIy she crep
nearer and nearer to the deadly foe
When the feline had reached poin
within a few feet of the coiled an(
/ f,aI,f ,,I, r.
stop and prepared to spring, settling
her paws firmly into the gravel.
Slowly the wicked head and bead.
eyes of the snake rose from the coil
| while the black forked tongue played
from between the deadly fangs. Like
streak of lightning the rattle
struck at the cat; but she was far tot
quick, and swifter than the eye coulC
travel had sprung to one side anC
buried her teeth in the snakes with
ing body before it could recover, col
and strike again. Giving the reptile {
flop, to prevent it reaching her, anC
before her actions could be fully com
pretended by the watching throng
the cat was out of harms way, agar
going round and round, still frothin&
at the mouth and still lashing he
tail.
Again and again was this perform
ance repeated, until it could be seer
that the descendant Of the tiger fam
lily had conquered mankind's mos
hated enemy. Finally, the snake
struck more feebly and recoiled more
slowly. Then Tabby succeeded il
sinking her teeth in the snakes neck
This time she did not let go her hold
but crunched and crunched until she
had fnisLed her job and killed the
enemy. That night there was but lit