Rhode Island Republican

That ferocious and dangerous animal, the Cat-omount, now exists in the woods at Boxford, (Mass.) and one have been killed near Andover. Inhabitants of the former town frequently in the late season, lost sheep, without being able to account for it; and several persons have reported that they had seen in the woods some animal of an uncommon and terrifying appearance, but without exciting much attention. Some time last month however, a young man having occasion to go through a part of the woods, he took with him his gun, merely charged for a squirrel either in case he should chance to see one. As he was passing on, his dog, perceiving a squirrel at a little distance, began to bark; but as the young man was going to the place to shoot him, he perceived a large, long bodied, fierce looking animal, apparently of the cat kind, making towards him. He turned and ran, and winged with terror, sprang upon the trunk of a fallen tree, which lay in a slanting position lodged upon another, and which he could scarcely ascend in another circumstance. He had got to about sixteen feet from the ground, when casting his eyes down, he beheld his enemy just on the point of making a leap at him, which caused him immediately to jump to the ground, so that each gained the other's place at the same instant; the young man then suddenly presented his gun at the face of the creature, and fired his small charge, but could not determine whether it injured him; but he immediately sprang round the tree again; seized upon the gun, and with his enormous claws scratched and tore the stock. It was fortunate for the young man; that he took the gun for the object of vengeance; it undoubtedly saved his life; he wrested it from him, turned and ran, and the creature who at one bound might have fastened his claws into his prey, did not pursue him; this is attributed to his missing him at his first spring which is said to have the effect in some measure to disconcert and discourage him.

[Salem Reg.