Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-04-11
CAT KILLS RATTLEsNAkE.
Remarkable Feat Of a Feline camp

Minneapolis Tribune-Life in a
railroad camp at its best is a hard.
humdrum existence. but men, no mat
ter where they are or what NAV 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 q 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 fight to the death be-
tween mans worst enemy, a big rat
tiesnake, and the pet of the camp, a
half grown kitten.
Somehow, from somewhere. this
kitten had come and cast its lot
among the rough laborers, attracted
perhaps by the promise of food from
quickly made friends with the lonely
men, but it was wild and hard to ap-
| preach, 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 eircling around a certain spot on
the rightof-way. The cat was lash
ing herself with her tail and seemed
wild with fright and injury.
The workers gathered quickly, form
ling ring, and the reason for the cats
strange action was found to be a
large rattler, coiled into the sand
with its 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 crowd
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 on
end, and the white froth streamed
from her champing jaws. Crouching
low, carefully and guardedly she crept
nearer and nearer to the deadly foe
When the feline had reached a point
within few feet of the coiled and
watchful reptile it came to dead
stop and prepared to spring, settling
her paws firmly into the gravel.
Slowly the wicked head and .beady
eyes of the snake rose from the coil
while the black forked tongue played
from between the deadly fangs. Like
a streak of lightning the RATHER
struck at the cat; but she was far toe
quick, and swifter than the eye could
travel had sprung to one side and
buried her teeth in the snakes with
ling body before it could recover, col
and strike again. Giving the reptile 8
flop, to prevent it reaching her, and
before her actions could be fully com
pretended by the watching throng
the cat was out of harms way, again
going round and round, still frothing
at the mouth and still lashing her
tail.
Again and again was this perform
ance repeated, until it could be seen
that the descendant of the tiger fam
lily had conquered mankind's most
hated enemy. Finally, the snake
struck more feebly and recoiled more
slowly. Then Tabby succeeded in
sinking her teeth in the snakes neck
This time she did not let go her hold
but crunched and crunched until she
!, had fnis.ed her job and killed the
! enemy. That night there was but lit.