Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 83, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1901 — FIGHTING A WILDCAT [ARTICLE]

FIGHTING A WILDCAT

AN ADVENTURE THAT MADE ONE MAN SHY OF THAT KIND OF BEAST. He la Willing to Go a. Long Way Around to Avoid Ferocious Animals, Even Though Science Says They Will Flee at Man’s Approach. “I have read in the papers certain scientific assertions that no wild animal will voluntarily attack or pursue a human being, but that, on the contrary, the fiercest of them, as tradition and the -tales of woodsmen classify them, will make baste to escape the possible sight of man, unless, in desperate cases, hunger may urge it to approach him, its most dreaded foe, such cases being extremely rare,” said a matter of fact and veracious New York business man. “If that is so, I had a little experience once with a wild animal that must have been the most desperately hungry beast that ever longed for food. The occurrence was in northwestern Pennsylvania, where one winter I had some business that called me ten miles from the county town to one of the backwoods districts. It was late in the afternoon when I started on my return to the village. The way was over a lonely, narrow, crooked mountain road, bordered by deep woods much of the distance. Toward dusk, as I was rounding a short turn in the road, my horse, which had a good deal of spirit, shied suddenly and sprang forward on a furious run. “At the same instant an animal with glaring eyes plumped down from somewhere and landed in the sleigh at my feet. It had evidently leaped from a tree at the horse, the quick movements of which nervous animal had defeated that purpose, and the attacking animal had alighted with its fore feet on the robe that lay across my lap. It glared furiously at me, with its face not more than two feet away, as it clung to the robe with its sharp claws, growling fiercely. I had never seen a wildcat, but I knew instantly and instinctively that I had one to deal with here, and it seemed to be a very large and savage one at that. I had no weapon, but fortunately the whip that stood in its socket on the dashboard was loaded at the butt.

“Clinging to the reins with my left hand—the horse was running away—l quickly drew the whip from the socket and struck the wildcat on the head with the heavy butt. That caused the animal to loosen its hold on the robe and drop into the snow at the side of the sleigh, but the agile and furious beast was up in the fraction of a secand and with one bound sprang on the back of the sleigh, which bad a low body. “Although the horse was running madly away along the narrow and crooked road, throwing the sleigh from side to side and threatening it constantly with destruction against some rock or stump, I was obliged to drop the reins and leave the result of the runaway to chance, for the wildcat was struggling desperately to gain a foothold in the sleigh and fight me at close quarters. I knew that if the sleigh should happen to come into collision with any obstacle heavy enough to wreck it I would be no match for the catamount, now wrought to the utmost ferocity, fighting it on the slipping snow, even if I were unharmed by the collision, so I strained every nerve to conquer the determined beast while I still possessed the advantage of foothold in the sleigh. “Once I thought it was all up with me, for as the sleigh was carried abruptly round a short turn in the road by the speeding horse one runner struck a stone or a root, and the sleigh careened and ran at least 50 feet on the other runner alone. I mechanically threw the weight of my body toward the upper side of the sleigh, all the time raining rapid blows on the head of the wildcat with the butt of the whip, and forced the sleigh down to its balance on both runners again. A few more blows after that, and I was rejoiced to see the determined and tenacious beast first loosen one claw, hang for a second or so by the other, while it tried to seize-the top of the back of the' sleigh again with its teeth, and then tumble to the road and lie motionless in the snow.

“I dropped back ou the seat limp and weak, a nd’too much unnerved to make the least effort to obtain control -of tlie runaway, which was still rushing wildly along the uncertain road, made still more uncertain by the gathering darkness. The horse ran at least three miles farther and then began to slow up and at last stopped half way up a long and steep hill from sheer exhaustion. 1 had by this time recovered sufficiently to take charge of the horse again and drive the rest of the way to the town, which wasn't far, and where I arrived with the horse covered with foam, a sleigh splintered and covered deep with scars and scratches made by the desperate wildcat and myself so badly used up by nervous shock that it was three days before I was able to get about again in anything like good condition. 1 never heard whether the wildcat was killed by my blows or not, but I have an idea he was. I hope so. Science may be all right in declaring that wild animals will hasten to flee at the very suspicion of man’s approach, but if ever I am going anywhere and hear there are wildcats in that direction I'll go around some other way.”—New York Presrf. Peers of Great Britain have the right to be hanged with silken cords instead of hempen ropes. Few avail themselves of the privilege.