The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-11-07
The American Tiger.

The cougar, or American tiger, which
is not unfrequently killed in the South
west and in Texas, seldom measures more
than six feet in length and fortunately
for they are very destructive-they
are but seldom seen in any inhabited
part of our continent; but we notice
that one was recently slain in California
which measured nine feet, including the
tail, which is about one-third of the
whole. Their habits are exceedingly
solitary, and they never approach the
residences of human beings except when
impelled by hunger-preferring the most
retired passes in the mountains and the
deeper gloom of the swamps. Hunting
only for game in the night, and possess
ing, as we have already stated, an extra
ordinary power of concealment, they
are strangers everywhere, and their ap-
pearance throws neighborhoods into ex-
citement, for the mystery attending
their movements ever exaggerates the
idea of their power to injure and destroy.
The cougar reaches the top of tree
with almost the ease of bird-depend-
ing upon his claws to retain the momen-
tum in his favor gained by his first
spring Selecting lower limb of some
gigantic tree that overhangs Watering
place, or "salt-ick," if one be in the
neighborhood, he lies extended along his
perch, looking-upon the most critical
examination of spectator-more like a
line of dried moss, or an excrescence on
the bark, than a blood thirsty beast of
prey. Here he keeps his vigil-his eyes
alone are moving; but even their fires
are partially quenched from. observation
by silken lashes which, like the lantern
of the thief, darken the light that it may
not betray. Most animals of the forest
drink at night, and at particular places ;
thus finally the deer, the elk, or even the
lordly buffalo appears, and ere it has
slaked its thirst, the cougar has dropped
from his nestling-place and descended as
quietly as a dried leaf upon the neck Of
his victim. But now all is changed-the
cougar instantly becomes the active fend
his claws and teeth sink into the quiv-
ering flesh, and away flies the fated VIC
tim with the speed of an arrow. In vain
it rushes against the trunks of trees, or
scours through the hospitable cane-brake
to brush off the destroyer-the cougar
has fastened himself with the tenacity of
death, and even as the wild race contin-
bSo, bllilho up tllC val LII anu
blood. Life, tenacious as it is among
the ruminants of the forest, is soon sap
ped by the remorseless appetite of the
destroyer; and as the victim falls and
expires, the cougar stealthily extends
himself along the body, suspiciously
glances around, as if challenging a dis
pute for the prize, and then satisfies for
the moment his Unsuitable appetite.
Excited now, rather than appeased, he
rushes back to his eyrie, resumes his
watching, and darts down again upon
some helpless animal, accompanying his
acts with ten-fold ferocity-blood rather
increasing than appeasing his lust Thus
passes the night, until the butcher is lit
orally covered with gore. The first streak
of the morning sun that illumes the
horizon sends him to his hiding place
With the stealthy, cowardly step of the
midnight assassin and murderer, he seeks
obscurity, and calms his passions by
cleansing his soiled coat of every stain,
and at the close of the labor sinks into
disturbed Sleep to resume his work again
when the darkness of night rests upon
the earth.
There are times, however, when q de.
stroyer more terrible than the cougar
himself is on his path. The hunter has
brought the well-trained dogs to assist
him on the scent, and already the deeI
bay of the excited hound is yelpine
forth the desire for blood. The wild
beast-a short time before so relentless, SC
powerful. and in his domain so apparent.
ly omnipotent-feels that his doom is
sealed. Strange as it may be, he has an
instructive dread; the lord of the crea-
tion is upon him; the breath of powder
unnerves his muscles of iron; and the
cougar hies-fiies with even more terror
than the helpless deer that has suffered in
his grasp. As last resort, he mounts q
tree; the unerring scent of the dog.
shames the sight in its knowledge and
betrays the presence of the now immola,
ted destroyer. The sharp ringing of the
rifle is followed by the. body of the life,
less cougar coming helpless to the
ground for, with all his power, he Yields
to the fiat which gave man dominion
over every living thing that moveth upor
the face of the earth.