THE WILDCAT. 507 



back, one of the fiercest-looking animals, for its size, that I 

 had ever seen. It seemed that when the hounds had over- 

 taken it, they had seized it, and, in turn, had been forced 

 to let go, and get out of reach of its teeth and sharp 

 claws. 



This was plainly evident from the bloody marks on their 

 heads, necks, and sides. The more resolute dogs, on being 

 urged, would spring forward to get a hold; but with a fierce 

 "spit" of rage and a swift stroke of the paw, the brute 

 would send them flying back out of its reach. The boys 

 had all come riding up except two, one of whom was Pul- 

 liam, who was farthest away when the Cat was overtaken. 

 He soon showed up, too, and with him was his large, ugly, 

 dark brindle-colored dog, named Stump — a regular " var- 

 mint dog" — a combination of meat-ax and bull, whose 

 tail had been discounted fifty, twenty-five, and ten per cent. ; 

 hence his name. His chief and only reputation was that 

 he would fight to the death with any varmint, no matter 

 what were the odds. With the boys, on occasions like this, 

 he was a necessary adjunct, and the main stand-by. 



As soon as Bart saw George coming, he called to him to 

 hurry up with old Stump. 



"Here, Stump, here, here, whoop-ee!" 



All this time, the baying of the hounds — eight of them 

 — together with the cheers of the hunters, made a most 

 deafening racket. Old Stumj), guided alone by the noise, 

 soon put in an appearance, and was not loath to lay hold, 

 notwithstanding the severe punishments he had in former 

 times and on similar occasions received, one of which was the 

 loss of an ear, which had either been clawed or chewed off 

 80 close to his head that the remnant resembled the upper 

 section of a coarse-toothed buzz-saw; and of the other, but 

 little more remained, and that pretty well split up. He 

 seemed to know just what was expected of him. With a 

 growl and a rush, he seized the Cat across the breast, just 

 below the arms, crushed and shook it as a ratter would a rat, 

 and soon took all the fight out of it. No sooner had he laid 

 hold than in rushed the other dogs, only to get a further 



