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An Equine Rat Killer.

Roscoe Franklin of Brockton, Mass., owns a bay horse, known by the name of Shiloh, that is possessed of a peculiar accomplishment. Mr. Franklin’s stable, a rather old building, is infested by rats that give the horses much trouble, stealing their food and making themselves pests generally. It began to be observed a short time since that in Shiloh’s stall there was to be found every morning one or more of the rodents, dead, the crushed bodies of which of which indicated that they had died violent deaths, but what that death was remained a mystery until one of the stable men discovered that the big bay was himself their executioner.
He was then watched at the work, and the strategy and cunning of the animal is said to be remarkable. He will stand over a rat hole for any length of time without stirring, his ears alert, and his eyes fixed on the hole. Then as the rat breaks cover abruptly and hurriedly, as they always do. Shiloh brings down the sharp hoof of his uplifted foot upon his little harassing foe, crushing the life out of him, and if he fails to strike the wily creature will overtake him with outstretched neck, and seizing him in his powerful teeth throw him against the side of the stall, thus breaking his back.
It is but seldom that this curious ratter fails to kill his prey. The horse actually seems to enjoy the sport, for he will repeat the trick again and again, and if any one stands and watches him at it he will occasionally turn his intelligent eye on the spectator, as if to say; “I’ll get him yet.”-Philadelphia Times.

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