In 1781, Lexington, Ky., was only a cluster of cabins, one of which, near the spot where the courthouse now stands, was used as a schoolhouse.  One morning, in May, McKinley, the teacher, was sitting alone at his desk, busily engaged in writing, when, hearing a slight noise at the door, he turned and beheld an enormous wildcat, with her fore feet upon the step, her tail curled over her back, her bristles erect, and her eyes glaring rapidly about the room, as if in search of a mouse.

McKinley’s position at first completely concealed him, but a slight and involuntary motion of his chair attracted the cat’s attention, and their eyes met, McKinley, having heard much of the powers of “the human face divine,” in quelling the audacity of wild animals, attempted to disconcert the intruder by a frown.  But puss was not to be bullied.  Her eyes flashed fire, her tail waved angrily, and she began to gnash her teeth.  She was evidently bent on mischief.  Seeing his danger, McKinley hastily rose, and attempted to snatch a cylindrical rule from a table which stood within reach, but the cat was too quick for him.

Darting furiously upon him, she fastened upon his side with her teeth, and began to rend and tear with her claws.  McKinley’s clothes were soon in tatters, and his flesh dreadfully mangled by the enraged animal, whose strength and ferocity filled him with astonishment.  He in vain attempted to disengage her from his side.  Her long, sharp teeth were fastened between his ribs, and his efforts served but to enrage her the more.  Seeing his blood flow very copiously from the numerous wounds in his side, he became seriously alarmed, and, not knowing what else to do, he threw himself upon the edge of the table, and pressed her against the sharp corner with the whole weight of his body.

The cat now began to utter the most wild and discordant cries, and McKinley, at the same time, lifting up his voice in concert, the two together sent forth notes so doleful as to alarm the whole town.  Women, who are generally the first to hear and spread news, were now the first to come to McKinley’s assistance.  But so strange and unearthly was the harmony within the schoolhouse, that they hesitated long before venturing to enter.  At length, the boldest of them rushed in, and, seeing poor McKinley bending ever the corner of the table, she at first supposed that he was laboring under a severe fit of the colic; but quickly perceiving the cat, which was now in the agonies of death, she screamed out, “Why, good heavens, Mr. McKinley, what is the matter?”

“I have caught a cat, madam!” he gravely replied, turning round, while the sweat streamed from his face under the mingled operations of fright, fatigue, and pain.

Most of the neighbors had now arrived.  They attempted to disengage the dead cat; but so firmly were her tusks locked between his ribs, that this was a work of no small difficulty.  McKinley suffered severely for a time from the effects of his wounds, but at length fully recovered, and lived to a good old age.  He was heard to say, that of all the pupils that ever came to his school, the wildcat was the most intractable; that he would at any time rather fight two Indians than one wildcat.