The "Yellow-Haired Wildcat" of Derita

The discussion recently of the ways we all earned money as kids reminded me of something my younger brother Jerry did years ago.

Now, Jerry is a go-getter, he didn't sit still for a minute. He was always coming, going or into something. Before Jerry was dry-behind-the-ears, he had built himself a house up off Mallard Creek Rd. He had a '57 Chevrolet auto that he hauled all building supplies in, including concrete blocks.

He would get a pay-check, spend it on building materials, haul it in the car, then nail it up. Next week, same thing. When he got the house finished, it was also paid for. Well! I got side-tracked. I was going to tell something that Jerry did when he was just 11 or 12 yrs. old.

He really enjoyed being around the older men in Derita. Jerry would go visit Mr. B J. Hunter and "our" aunt Maude quite often. Mr. Hunter 'bout always had some odd-job for boys to do .He wouldn't pay much, but a quarter then would buy a pretty big bag of candy.

Mr. Hunter told Jerry one morning: "Jerry, something's getting my chicks & ducklings. Now, Jerry, if you will find what's killing them and take care of it, I will pay you for your troubles.

That just tickled Jerry real good, and he said I'll take that job. Well, Jerry jumped on his bike, went home, packed himself some lunch, picked up an old army blanket and went back. He decided to hide in the old smoke house that the pen was nailed to & watch for whatever was getting the little chicks & ducklings. He stayed till dark and didn't see a thing so he went home.

He then decided that since he didn't see anything all day, that maybe this thing was doing it at night. He rounded up a flashlight,some grub, a pocket knife, a big orange drink and got back there before dark. He climbed up in the hayloft in the barn overlooking the chickens yard, picked out a good spot and he
watched.

Now just before daybreak he heard something down there and it was not chickens. There, creeping along the outside of the fence was this big old yellow & white cat.
When Jerry saw the cat, he jumped. That scared the cat and he jumped & ran like Blaylocks bull. Jerry right on his tail with a stick that he had carved to look like a sword. Old Yeller was heading for the road.

Now just as that cat got in the road, so did an old Studebaker pickup truck. BAM!! Yellow & white hair everywhere. That poor cat was as dead as a door nail. Jerry said he was sorry that happened, but after the Studebaker man drove off, Jerry pulled out a rope, tied one end to the rear of his bike and tied the other end to the cat's tail.

Well he first drug that cat down to the "business district. in Derita, then to Puckett's Garage and over to McGlaughlin's store, and I don't know where else. He said he wanted to show everybody the "WILDCAT" that had killed Mr. Hunters' chicks
& ducklings. When he got through all the "SHOWING," the cat was as slick as a mole. Jerry had drug him so far that there wasn't a half dozen hairs left on that yellow cat. I never did find out how much Mr. BJ paid Jerry for his "TROUBLES"
--- Fred