Connecticut western news., 1916-03-02
THE TALE OF A BOBCAT
 1y M. QUAD Copyright. l"G, by the Mcclure NeWspap.r Syndicate.

Joe Grimm as he took a seat on cracker barrel at the crossroads store. you all know that up to five vars ago 1 lived over in Joe Davis county. had squat over thar by the big Blue Gum swamp. Thar was forty acres Of land ill the squat, and it was mighty pore land. It was all could do to raise huff con and tatcrs fur me and the ole woman. If it hadn't been that the Blue Gum was full of varmints that 1 could trap ill the winter and sell their furs 1 reckon We should have starved out.
 "One winter. for some reason or other, most of the varmintS left the swamp, and it was mighty poor trap pin. l got just enough fur to keep Us goin', and as consequence when spring and summer cum along We was powerful hard up and like to go hun gry ill another month.
 One night arter the ole woman had given me three or four hints about laziness We went to bed feelin' that Providence was to blame for it all. Along about midnight she nodged me awake and said:
 "'Joe, 1 have got a bright idea. It's fur you to go in the swamp tomorrer and set a deadfall to catch a bobcat. If you kin ketch q big bobcat mebbc you kin sell him at Mud Flats or the Bend to some one fur pet. He orter bring at least SJ.'
 Fl Joe, ''and next day reckoned it might pay to try it. I went out and set a deadfalI, and while 1 was doin' it bouncin' big bobcat ran up tree clus beside me and gin a screech that rig my ha'r up.
 "That night about 12 o'clock we was awoke by the durndest screamin' and screechin' that man ever heard of It come from a bobcat who had med dled with that deadfall.
 We got her caged, and next mawn- in I set out for the town of Mud Flats. I went thar kase thar was two or three rich men in the place who might buy the cat and kase thar was to be lecshun thar that day.
 Eight miles below Mud Flats was Walnut Bend, town of about 1900 people, without any mud in front of it. The Renders wanted the county seat moved over thar, and after q lot of hard feelin's about it it was agreed to hold a lecshun. It was to be held in Mud Flats, and that is what brung about 250 Renders over thar the day I drove in with the cat. I hadn't driv inter the town yit when I met old Jim Darby in the road. Arter he had nod ded to me and took a look at the cage he says:
 What ye got thar, Joeg
 "A big bobcat,' says.
 "'What ye goin' to do with himf
 "'Sell him if I kin
 ''Ole Jim steps aroun' to the back of the wagon and peeks in and the cat gives a scream and spits in his face. With that, old Jim backs up and walks the road a few feet. When he cums back to me he says:
 Joe, these Mud Flatters are tricky lot. They have formed in line in front of the polls and are goin' to vote so slow that us Renders won't SI'hi ho ohoN lo SlI luc COunls St1t. 1 wonders
 "'What ye woRderin' about, Jim?' says I.
 I think we might make use O that cat-I think so. If he was turned loose down by the votin' place what would he do?e
 "'Why, he would bite and claw un- til you could smell sulphur
 "I reckon he would, Joe. What I away from the poles and gin my men a chance to hold the land. If you think he kin do this there is $10 in it fur you
 T want jest four times that. Jim says I, seein' my advantage.
 Jim sticks fur awhile, strollm' his red chin whiskers. and he finally cums to my terms. He tells me what to do as he passes up tie money and starts back to the town and gives his men the wink. and they all draws off to an old barn farther down the street. Then I drives in and stand up in my wagon and shouts out that I have a big bob cat for sale. The street was full of men. but no one minds me. I shouts out that I will take $5 fur the var mint. Then I lowers the price to Sf- and Stand g.. and arter about tel Iuinutps of this hollerin' I gifts the sig. nal from Jim, and I pretends to gil mighty mad. and l yells out:
 If nobody will buy this bob of mo then am goin' to turn him loose and let him find his way back to his lovn' home in Blue Gum!'
 What did took the crowd by sur prise. I turned to the cage and tore off a couple of slats. and the cat cum out like bullet. He clawed my cap off as he cum and then bit the ole mule on his way to the ground. and n flcnd was let loose in Mud Flats.
 He broke up that votin' line in thirty seconds. and he drove mcu inter stores and shops and houses. Lawd, but he was q fury! He Was aS mad as six bars rolled inter one.
 s.It was ybpu fbn rot Storfe1 T,t..