The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1907-02-01

We arrived at the river. or more truth
fully speaking, the swamps, for the
river itself is no larger than the
outlet, but has a path leading down
to it.
AT this point our guide informed
US that the business Of the day would
commence. so dividing our. party. my
self and Mr.. McCreery decided to
stay with the guide and his dogs for
his stories of wildcats and coons and
snakes which he had told on our
Idrive here had got one so worked up
| said | was from Missouri and want
ed 10 see. Mr. Peterson and the other
gentleman, Mr.. Lythgoe. took the
river route and we commenced opera.
tons. With a couple Of tOots OF his
| horn our guide soon had his dogs we'll
| in hand and with a few words that the
/ dogs seemed TO understand. but 10 us
| sounded like a mixture of bad English
jungle and in a few minutes We were
mixed up in underbrush and decayed
vegetation and trying to keep out of
swamp holes. The dogs had struck a
track and were baying and yelping
and our guide was yelling to them.
and in the confusion must say | was
little axHifaI 4
!rattlesnakes, wildcats and coons and
began TO think | ought TO have gone
fishing. After We had followed the
dogs for about fifteen minutes they
crowded coon into a small place |
surrounded by swamp. We could not
get there so our guide left us. saving
he was going TO get that cat, and |
jumping into the swamp he waIlowed |
up to his waist in the mud and in a /
few minutes We heard a shot and he
returned with the dogs, tearing al a
big coon he could not hold high
enough for he was covered with mud
and slime. and the dogs you could not
tell what they were for mud
After resting for short time We
started another coon on higher land
and the dogs freed him. Mr.. Nc
Creery shot this one We got three ,
more the same way. We. by this time
were rather tired and ready 10 Quit. a,
lut our guide wanted a wildcat He
seemed to be made of iron and nerves
md the dogs of the same. so he start
I'd out and left us resting and said.
When | blow this horn YOU come.
In about 20 minutes We heard horn h
blowing and could hear the dogs. We \
OOked at each other and with groan / +
aid; Well. let us go To be brief \
'e came up to the outfit and there p
'ere all of the dogs at the foot of a I
rec ana in a big hollow of which the n
uIde said was a wildcat. and he was u
olnS to smoke him out We scatter q
d 10 get shot at him and in less liz
ime than it takes 10 tell. | saw wba; {:
}oked 10 me- coming my way. an ami Il
lal that looked as big as a calf tear p
IL through the brush and trees with r.
oSS in full cry. II seemed 10 me N
hat | was right in the way and II II
as either shoot or never see Celoron "
gain. | took good aim and shot and O.
g had a wildcat weighing 81 mounds n
We then quit hunting and made =
1r way to the river where We Joined .,
le rest Of the party. They had
iught - bass and Mr.. Peterson -
lot very large snake. a moccasin. ~
measured six feet five inches. After
sting we ate lunch and started back ad
n the way home We put up some 60
1ail and got few. also a few wild
dSeons, so had quite an assortment ~.
game. We arrived home tired and -
'ady for late supper. well satisfied ~,
it'll our days outing "-JameStown. bo
Y. " Evening Journal. -