Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-01-13
CATAMOUNT CHARLEY.
The Hunter of Pixies Peak Brings in
His Game.

From the Colorado Springs Gazettel
Yesterday the well-known hunter of Pixies
Peak, Catamount Charley, appeared in town
riding his piebald mustang, Captain Kid
Charles was dressed in his Sunday clothes
and appeared to be in a particular good humor
The pesonal appearance Of this famous hunter
and trapper is familiar to every resident OF
Colorado Springs. His tall, loosely knit
figure, his long legs, his dark face, black eyes
and flowing black beard, which sweeps in a
sable cataract over his bosom, are all well
known to our citizens. Catamount Charley
was dressed as we have said in his Sunday
clothes, which consisted of yellow buckskin
shirt and buckskin trOwsers, both trimmed
with fringe of buckskin cut in strip, a cart
ridge belt filled with the loaded shells of a
heavy repeating rifle, which he carried in his
hand, wide white sOmbrerO on his head and
moccasins on his feet
CatamOunt Charley dismOunted in front of
Aiken q Hunts Museum, and, leaving his
mustang unhitched, removed heavy bale Of
skins from the crupper of the saddle and
walked into the store Mr. Hunt who is the
musical member of the firm, was the only one
in the store at the time, and was engaged in
playing dreamy nOcturne upon the piano
when Charley entered.
Il say, boss, remarked Charley in the midst
OF one OF the most pathetic passages of Mr..
Hunts music, "I've got some skins yere I'd
like to sell to yer"
Certainly" said Mr.. Hunt with his usual
politeness, Il shall be glad to look at them"
"Yere," said Charley, lis mountain bisons
hide, yere is a mountain lions hide and yere
are two more lions hide. That fust lions
skin is the biggest / ever see. It's nine feet
from tip to tip. The critter must have
weighed about 500 pounds"
Indeed" said Mr.. Hunt
Yes, boss, reckon he MUS, said Charley,
taking a seat on the piano stool Just vacated
by Mr.. Hunt, and striking the keyboard of
the piano with his bronzed fist until the
strings roared amain. That's about the way
that 'ere feller hollered when Ishot 'im,"
said Charley with satisfied grin.
Indeed" said Mr.. Hunt
Yes; you see, it was in this way. was
looking around for game back OF the peak
when all at once heard a growin' and
howlin', which reminded me that he noun
tain lions was not all dead yet Sci crawled
around pint of rock. Pm blamed # didn't |
see three mountain lions havin' fight with |
a mOnstrous bison. l tell you it was big
fight! The lions would make leap, and the |
bison would back up agin rock and take
them On his horns. | don't know how the |
fight would have come out, but it was Just
too good a picnic for me to let it pass, so !
drawed bead on the flst lion as came in !
range, and pulled my old rifle off The sur
prism part of the affair was that Just as
pulled one of the lions jumped in between
me and the one | shot at, and caught the ball
ust back of the ribs. 1t passed clean through
him. and bein' turned little from its course
t cut the throat of the second lion and broke
he neck of the bison. They all dropped in
, heap, and was so tickled that incautious-
y jumped out from behind the rock, when
he third lion saw me-
Indeed said Mr. Hunt
Yes" said Charley, "the third lion he saw
ne, and made a jump in my direction. As
aw him comm | didn't have time to take
i'm, but brought my repeatin' rifle up un-
ler my arm and took fly shot at him.
lucky for me, | took him in the breast, and
le tumbled over dead"
Indeed" said Mr.. Hunt
Yes" said Charley, she tumbled over
ead, and now what will you give for the
our skins, three mountain lions and one
ison ?"
We left Mr.. Hunt engaged in mercantile
ombat with Charley over the price of those J
kins.