, 1874-05-09
CALIFORNIA LIONS.


An Arizona Trnrelor's Account OF Xais
Enc"Antcr with Seven Wild Ifonxts.
:, A corresoondent Of tho Arizona Miner giyea
tho wilds Of TINT Territory "On nv wav from
prescott Btoppcd for tho night at Old Camp
aulspal. On the morning Of tho 18th inst,
!ltsls frost OH the around, which mado It botto!
travelling over tic clay flats that arc found pea,
hns1l Nock. roached tho summit Of the Aztee
lass IL! quite curly Tho wind was blowing cold aud
ene oi,oat ar waa fu Of snow and pulled blenko.
forward as fast as could. I had ~ not
'Havoled ono mile from Tho summit Of tho Pass
when my horse stopped; I looked forward, and
IN tue road, NOT fifty yards from me. 7 saw tive
Ono Of them turned around SO as to show to liz
hebt advantage possible. THE other, d smallo,
Que got down close to tho ground, and acted a.
though hs intended to spring nt my horse.
lost no time in getting out my pistol, and, a.
soon US my horse was quot enough, fired at tie
creeping monater. I undershot my mark. Tht
ball struck rock about ono foot in advance ot
the creeping lion, and glanced Oft with sharp,
whlatllng noise. At this moment observed
tive other monsters Of tho same species rise ur
Now, oil soven huppod of about twenty paoBs I'd
tho right OF the roal and stopped on opep
ground, within sixty yards Of mo. Now, this
WAS the first hop OF tho season, and horo WAS I,
UFs
aud. as 1t is customary to describe dress and ap.
pearn',co at fashionable hops, will record itenr
as took them three Of the lions were very
large, IN fact, monBters Of their species, and
were smaller, but should judge The smallest to
weigh as least 10o pounds. It being mlwlnter,
turs wore oil the rage. Tho three largest of
these fellows wore dark gray bordering On o
brown coat, being little lighter on their sides
III front and under tLsr bodies was white aud
appeared like white laca or down. The fourth
waa a little smaller, and Ills droaB was a littlo
darkor in color. The three smaller oneh wero
dressed in dark chestnut coat OH the Bides 1T
bordered or yellow with tbs same lace OF downy
trimming. 1ho dresses gllstened aa they turned,
aud resonbied changeable silk their movet
ments wore with muoh grace and easo They all
wore tails at least fur feot long, aud full
> feet moro than lion had any use for,
these parts, ii not each lion or lioness had te
carry his or hor own tail, and IT was not for nj
to sny how long tail lion should carry. Out
Of the larger oues, Which took to ba mother
Of part Of the group, sat down like cat; sha
raised lior great naw and licked it, and thor
rubbed her car and side Of her head az a oat
would. The movements wero awkward but oaBy.
It hlie was washing her face Ble should have
done 10 before coming to the hop. Tho second
large one sat very quiet and looked on. Thu
little in the rear, aud appeared to be- uneasy,
AZ though le expected rei4forcementa from all
othor direction, aud earnestly hoped that 40
others would appear, as there were already
enough Tor tho OCCASION.
The fourth, lively fellow, put his big paws
on large Pine root that pro:rudod above the
ground, and raked It down as though he wns
aprnging little b!un. The bark dew in
eVory direction As 4 aoratchist this fellow
Sas docded succcs. At the same time the
thioe small onos lav down Gloss to the
ground, and riyesed thoir eyea Oh nc or my
horse, and commenced crawling up as though
lucy would hke . more ultimate acquaintance.
had heard that if one looked lion In tue lace it
would turn away; but how could I look three
lions iu tho eye at the same timer Impossible.
Now would like to have compromised tha
whole matter by giving horse but my borsa
vas trembling with fear, which plainly told no
kind. looked Tor sApling. but they do not
grow In this part Of Arizona; none but largo
pines we're in sight, and all the lions in Arizona
could not it'gnten ma NJ a srea four foot iu di-
a'noter. 10 dlsmonnt l would make a. dead
shot, but then thsre would DO nix llons left, aud
I afoot. 1'hIB would not do. Iresolved to try
auot!lar slot, so got my horse to fAco tho
gamo and again I fired. As my pistol
olacAed t the foremost orawler jumped
on his foet, and bit his sido ~ thoash he Ind
been stung by bee. At this tho large onea
moved OIL toward u bruslly thicke. and tho
smaller ones followed. As turned my horse to
go on say. approaching me three horsemen.
lhey, had aoen the large tracks in the road and
heard my shots and hurried up. ! told them Of
what bud happened, aud, as thoy woro well
heeled, aud appeared TO bo men that had ncen
Of frontier life, suggested that II 1t
was game they wanted they rould find it In that
thicket. But they all most emphaticalIy denied
liaving lost any Hons. They hardly waitod to
hear I'LL my story, but passed on. Al statted
OIL my. way my horse wanted to run, aud up.
pearod very fresh, previous to this he seemed q,
little played and tired, but ho would now aud
tlaen look back and then git For tue last
tholyo dnyA my horse can 500 lion whenever ha
HautH to. The fact IL, ho has got what Ia called
lou on the bsaln. 1t llo doaH not recover Hoou
Wllt soil him or trade him off for mule."