The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-10-27
A Huater's Tale.
HOW A MoUNTAINEER CAPTURED A
WILD PONY AND KILLED
A PUMA.

NJ. E. Irving, the mountaineer
hunter, recently came into Colorado
Springs from the mountains, and re-
ported the discovery of a pony in
company with herd of bison known
to range among the hills about the
northern base of Pixies Peak. The
pony had often been seen by other
hunters, leading the bison herd, and
had long been known as the property
Of an old citizen now absent. Irving,
believing that he could capture the
pony, was appointed by Justice Lyon
a Deputy Constable for that purpose,
and he accordingly left Colorado
Springs about ten days ago, mounted
q mule, with Iariat, rifle and noun
tain outfit On Tuesday he returned.
bringing with him the pony.
His manner of capturing the ami
NAL was an achievement that stands
alone among lariat-throwing exploits.
The third day out in the mountains
he discovered the pony in small
park of some fifteen acres, together
with several bison and large herd
of elk. The pony, it appears, was
feeding of q little distance from the
herd. Irving, by lying close to the
back of his mule. and permitting it to
feed slow v along, succeeded in get
ting between it and the other ami
mails, when he rose up in his saddle
and gave an unearthly scream, at the
same time bearing down on the pony,
which, with snort and a bound,
started off in on opposite direction
from the now frightened herd. The
bison and the elk were soon out of
sight.
The pony took toward the southern
edge of the park, where it disappeared
up deep, narrow, rocky canon. Ir-
wing. finding it impossible to urge
his male along the almost impossible
gorge, dismounted, and, leaving the
animal secured to a tree, continued
the pursuit on foot. For nearly two
miles lie followed the devious course
of the canon, which in places was pot
more than three feet wide, it's walls
rising perpendicularly to height of
several hundred feet. The canon un-
expectedty opened into a park of
some two or three hundred acres,
around which mountains rose with
gradual slopes, covered with a dense
growth Of the pinion tree. Follow
| ing the path of the pony among the
| pinions, along the base Of the noun
tain, Irving was startled by strange
noise, the like of which he had never
heard before, and which filed him
with nameless dread. He FASTENED
on, however, and soon came upon the
pony, securely in the power of
mountain lion, which had fastened
its teeth in its side, pulling it down
to the earth.
Irving's first movement was to Sc
cure the pony with his lariat, one
end of which was fastened to his belt.
No sooner had he accomplished this
than he was discovered by the lion,
which, loosening its hold on the
pony, sank down by its side in a
crouching attitude, with its gaze
fixed upon the hunter, and ready to
spring upon him with the crushing
power peculiar to the animal. With
the celebrity and accuracy of the ex-
perienced hunter, Irving sent ball
from his Winchester through the
brain of the lion, which bounded into
the air with a roar that might
have been heard mile, and quickly
expired.
The pony, slightly injured, tugged
Justify at the lariat in its efforts to
regain its freedom. But Irving says
that after reading the execution to
him he seemed to give up and became
quite docile. The hide and head of
the lion were secured by the hunter,
and were on exhibition at Colorado
Springs yesterday. The length of
the animal from nose to tip of tail is
eleven feet four inches. The pony
has been advertised at Constable's
sale, and many bidders are awaiting
the day of sale. It is shaggy,
vicious, Withholding animal, which
would pass for cross of the bison
and the broncho. Rocky Mountain
News.
The secretary of the treasury
has given directions for the retire
ment of $3O4,5S4 Of outstanding le-