Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1899 — BATTLE WITH WILDCAT. [ARTICLE]

BATTLE WITH WILDCAT.

A Hunter’Uses Red Pepper to Good Advantage on a Wild Beast. For the first winter in many years wildcats have been numerous along the Fulton Chain. “Bill” Harwood, an oldtime Adirondack guide, arrived in town last week with his head and arms done up in bandages, as evidence of the wHlingness of a wildcat to fight when in close quarters. Harwood and his big deerhound, Spot, had been making a tour of the lakes for winter game, when they were caught In a snow storm on Black River mountain, near Rocky Point. They camped for the night in a shack left by a party of surveyors. Along in the morning Harwood was awakened by the barking of the hound. Turning over in his blankets he saw two shining eyes in a corner of the shack. Harwood knew that it was a wildcat. The ent had crawled to the entrance, when the hound leaped ahead and blocked the way out A terrific battle followed. The cat leaped for the hound and literally tore the dog info shreds. Then the decayed trees holding the shack fell over the entrance and the cat and Harwood were literally penned in to fight a duel to the death. The odds were plainly with the cat, for Harwood’s gun had fallen with the brush, outside the shack. He was crawling to reach the weapon when the cat came down upon him, tearing its claws through his face and down his right arm. If the cat had followed the attack Immediately the battle would have been over then and there. Harwood’s life was saved by liyik and a clever Idea. As the cat leaped back for a second attack, Harwood feU forward. His hand struck a box of red pepper, which he had brought with his provisions. Quick as thought he snatched a handful of pepper, and arising threw it at the head of the cat. The aim Whs good. The cat was blinded until Htowood could crawl outside and reach his rifle. Then he dropped under the edge of the shack, and, Iqcating the cat by the noise, fired until the animal was dead—New York World.