268 OF THE ANIMALS OF CHASE. 



creeping toward them ; when, crouching low, and 

 measuring exactly the distance which separated 

 them, he sprang upon the back of the old rooster, 

 and hung on by claw and teeth to the feathers, 

 while the frightened bird dragged him, clog and 

 all, over the yard. After several revolutions had 

 been made, the cat let go his hold on the back of the 

 fowl, and, with the quickness of lightning, caught 

 the head in his mouth, clinched his teeth, shut his 

 eyes, stiffened his legs, and hung on with the most 

 desperate resolution, while the fowl, rolling over in 

 agony, buffeted him with his wings. All in vain ! 

 In a few seconds more he was dead, and we looked 

 with abhorrence on the savage animal, that had just 

 taken his first degree in blood. In this case, there 

 could have been no teaching no imitation. It was 

 the undoubted instinct of a cruel nature ! "We 

 wondered that this young beast of prey, should 

 have known, from this instinct, the vital part of its 

 victim ! and we wondered still more, that in the 

 providence of God, he had seen fit to create an ani- 

 mal with an instinct so murderous. Philosophy is 

 ready with her explanation, and our abhorrence 

 may be misplaced, since from his very organiza- 

 tion, he is compelled to destroy life in order to live I 

 Yet, knowing this, our abhorrence still continues ; 

 whence we may draw the consolatory conclusion 



