Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-05-09
AN UNEXPECTED FIND.
a Texan Gees Hunting f0,. Turkeys ana

a IeE0n Gees Hunting for Turkeys and
Encounters u LION.
A correspondent at Belknap, Texas, says:
An incident transpired some time ago in the
Wichita mountains, which rise alongside the
stream of the same name, in Baylor county,
bordering on the great Llama Estocado of
Texas, that we'll illustrates the stealthy char
acter of the puma, or Mexican lion. The an
imal is an inhabitant of the lofty mountain
ranges of Mexico, and quite frequently met
with in the Chenoti range which looms up
between the Rio Pecos and Rio Grande, this
side of I'll Paso, and in the extreme wilds
and bowling wildernesses of west Texas.
The puma is occasionally encountered in the
mountain settlements on the Texas frontier.
A few evenings ago Texas frontlersman
and hunter named Franklin, dweller on the
lonesome banks of the headwaters of the
Little Wichita, left his ranch for the purpose
of bagging some wild turkeys and other
game for breakfast next morning.
The hunter was dressed in the broad
slouched hat SO common in Texas, with
boots over trousers, a six-shooter belted to
his waist, and his trusty rifle slung over his
shoulder. His venture was quite successful,
Franklin being center shot. Following the
banks of the Little Wichita, he brought
down three fine gobblers with his piece, and,
huntsman-like, tied all of them with leath-
er thong, slung the turkeys over his shout
der, and started for his sylvan home, or
rather camp.
The shadows of night had already par.
TALLY fallen on the murmuring river, and
the somber gloom of deep solitude fallen on
| the trees that line the banks of the Wichita
Franklin was plodding along in the dim
shades, unconscious Of danger from man or
BEAST when he felt a sudden shock, as if a
great load had been precipitated on his back.
Utterly amazed and stunned, the hunter
arose from the STOPPING position into which
he had been thrown. and grappled with his
unknown and mysterious assailant. His
first idea was that it was some devil-fish by
some curious chance turned loose on land
A fierce combat ensued. His assailant
| grappled with him, but seemed to direct hi
strength against the freight he carried or
his back. Franklin could not use his gu,
or his pistol, but struck at the ''varmlnt
with his fists, and endeavored to free him
self from the intruder much after the man
ner of the character in the Arabian Nights
on whose back was sabbled the Old Man O.
the Sea. At last the animal, for such Frank
lin at length perceived 1t to be, succeeded II
scampering off with one of the turkeys
followed by the hunter, who now drew hi
gun as we'll as knife.
He fred one shot at his assailant. Blu
this only enraged him, and the animal
making deadly spring, alighted on Frank
lin, at the same time planting its claws dee
into his neck and cheeks. The hunter wa
also fearfully torn and mangled about tn
arms, legs and other parts of the body
where the shrrp teeth of the brute we're raE
idly planted.
After the last spring, when the animal ha
fastened its ugly claws in his face, Frankli
plunged his knife into his enemy, who fe
dead on the ground. On examining th
svarmint'' the hunter found it to be a Mex
can lion of large size. Such was his ow
enfeebled condition., after such deaf
struggle, that it was with difficulty Frankli
reached his ranch, where his wounds wei
dressed.