, 1885-12-09
A FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Savage Encounter Between a MountaIl
ST Lion and a stallion.

savage encounter q Mountain
- Lion and a stallion.
Special Correspondence Of TnE LKADER
LANDER, Dec. A Messenger and
Black Hawk stallion belonging to Mr.. G..
H.. Ferguson, a professional hunter of the
mountains, is tae hero OF a late gallant
exploit. Matched against a huge noun
tain lion, in both cunning and proves, he
has come off victorious. Lightioot unites
in a remarkable degree the qualities of the
draft and the saddle horse. Strong, sup
pie and clean limbed, he draws his load
with irresistible power, or bears his rider
with easy grace. At once courageous and
gentle, be has long been the constant COM
panion of lis owner on his many hunting
trips, and it was on one of these that took
place the terrible count that has sent
the stations name through the mountains
and given the gallant horse wounds whose
honorable scars will be with him till his
d, ing day. Camped on the banks OF a
TRIBUTARY of the Wind river, far up in the
mountains, Ferguson had selected a small
bunch Of cottonwoods as his temporary
home. These gave him both shelter and
irewood, and for many a night their
shadows fell darkly on his tent. Some
little distance from the campfire there
stood an enormous and luxuriant cotton
wood apart from all others. 1t was truly
a giant of its kind. Some six or eight
feet above the ground the large parent
stem began to send forth its prolific out
put of branches. They reached lar on all
sides, and in some cases almost touched
the ground with their extremities. Beneath
them was a space as well as sheltered
from the mountain storms as though its
roofing had Leen the shingie of c~iviliza-
ton Instead of the leaves Of the noun
tain. Here was the abiding place of
LiRhttoot, and in his leaiy stabl, the
hardy stallion had had many a comfortable
sleep. About two weeks since Ferguson
was aroused from a sound sleep one night
by a neigh from the stallion. The sound
seemed 10 90 one oil rage rather mn
alarm, and hastily arising Ferguson issued
from his tent and looked ~anxiously in
the direction of horse. The animal was
standing in the full light Of a bright
moan some twenty feet from the tree,
and seemed to be i%ntently regarding some
ool'c' IN It's urancnes' AS Ferguson >
gaze followed tnat oil MS morse the
ORA 'cnes were violently agitateu' a via
yen was nea'u' u uarH Uol,c' nurieu i'seii
tnrousn Tue at anu h,sn''oot nau an
enormous mountain non ior a riuer' Inc
norse esc"peu maulS III .he ar uteerlhR a
'.ea" "''i' 81 u '"S' VI '"e non III
s"''i'ues' anu Sa'See'f' ihouHh ne re-
.u'ned " 'ne Hrouuu aRaln wan tremen-
uous eonouS1'ou ms laieu 10 snake TUG
non from ms nrn position on
tue "''uerS' D"rk spots oil Dlood now
appeAreI on tne Stallon . ~snouluers anu
neeh' ine non was tearing ms way 10
tue lugular' Inc morse realized the ues-
P. ' .. a." "a" "oiNeu
WIN human qu'cNhesS ana precision
Eroucning IN MS Tracks ne sprang win
inc 'orce OF Il ouliet straight lnto the
am'cAes' 'ang'e oil TIE cottonwood ooushs,
.ne huge hmos were true 10 'ne'r oiu
,,'enu' Inc non was struck from MS
oioody seat anu cast AcS" with great
Violence Inc stanton passed through
a"' 'u'"eu 10 ooniromt MS ioe III .ne
open space beyond inc non speedily
recovered n'p'se'i anu sprahg once more
in'o inc orSpOnes' uun from 'nence maue
nnD'ner reap 'o"aru tue morse nu. ne
'a'leu 10 CONNECT Inc nght hence'or-
warn mus. oeo n open erou'iu auu equal
terms. Inc mountain terror now began