The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-11-19
A PR0WLING COUGAR,
by NEWTON HIDES.

One of the most worthy and enter
prising settlers on the Little Solomon
Meadow, Rocky Mountains, is Mr.. Henry
Peck. He is the proud head of family,
as full of the sturdy qualities that enter
into the makeup of the pioneer element
of society MS any family to be found on
the broad frontier. was brought to
their rude log cabin by accident. Though
a stranger and without shadow of a
claim upon their hospitality, / was re
ceived with cordially as warm as the
love of brother, 1t was evening and
the rough room was light with the
glow of rich pine in broad, stone fire.
place.
In row on stools around the hearth
were father, mother, and four children,
the oldest boy of IL years. The room
was full of the necessaries of rude civil
ization and decorated with the trophies
of the chase. My attention was attracted
by the skin of a cougar that was extra
large, so arranged that its savage claws
were cleaning in the light of the pitch
fire.
Mr.. Peck noticed the occasion of my
wonder and said, "That beast was killed
by my son." and pointed to the fair
young child. With the spirit of hunter
asked for the particulars. He related
the story, and thought his eyes sparkled
and his cheek flushed with pardonable
pride. "When we came to this valley in
the early summer" he said, "there were
no neighbors within thirty miles of lis.
We staked off this claim and lived in a
tent. 1t was necessary for me to return
to Council Valley for provisions. 1t was
lonely place to leave family, but
years Of experience had prepared us for
hardships, so Willie was left as the de-
fender of his mother and little sisters.
THE journey was u long, trying one
and would require my absence for a
week. Willie had been well trained in
the use of his light repeating rifle, for
the dread of the Indians is q standing
menace to people situated as we are.
The second night after my departure
Willie heard footsteps about the tent.
They were light and measured and be-
spoke a sneaking foe, either man or
beast OF course the boy thought it was
providing renegade Indian, moved by
native ungovernable propensity to steal.
With rifle in hand he sat behind the
lapel of the tent and peered into the
heavy darkness.
1t was in the season Of rain, and the
moon was darkeded by clouds; the wind
was swaying the grass, and the only re-
lief to the eye were rolling waves of dark
ness that varied in density just enough
to form separate running shadows. Be
fore the tent In the evening had been q
burning log of dry pine extending full
length Of the open end of the canvas
walled room. 1t had burnt brilliantly
and made the narrow confines of the
makc-shift of home so cheerful that all
the family lay down, happy to sleep
soundly and sweetly. .'
And they were all asleep except the
brave little boy with his gun on sentinel
duty. Softly came the lurking intruder
under cover of night, while within the
frail structure were all those dear ones a
innocent and almost as helpless as little
lambs. The fire had burnt so low that
the log was black, charred streak, from
which was shooting tongues of pale
flame at intervals of q few seconds, but
the light the sputtering flashes gave was
too weak to aid the boys aching eyes in
penetrating the night on either side. The
sly steps passed beyond the light flashes
that fitted from the dying fire,
"a pair of glaring eyes reflected back
the flames, 1t was not an Indian, but a
wolf or some other prowling beast,
thought the boy, and he was no longer
afraid. Wolves have no terrors for chill
dren who know them outside of story
papers. The wolves the hunter encoun-
tiers is only sly thief and is as easily
frightened as rabbit. So, when Willie
supposed a timid, sneaking wolf had
caused his dread he was ashamed of his
lack of courage. But he determined to
shoot the beast if it came near enough to
the uncertain light.
1T had been attracted by the smell of
broiling meat and was evidently deter
mined to secure some scraps that were
scattered about for an evening meal 1t
kept out Of the range light so long that
he grew restless and determined to fire
at the dim outline and at least scare the
prowler away. 1t was evidently afraid
of the fire and would come no nearer.
'The trusty little gun was raised to
position. Just then the fire blazed up
brighter than before and afforded a fair
chance to aim at the crouchlng and
seemingly frightened creature. A flash
and a sharp report A scream rang out
and q monster bounded from the dark
ness toward the tent. 1t was wounded
and ferocious mountain lion, or cougar.
The eyes of the beast had been fixed
upon the burning log, and he supposed
his pain came from the fire. He seized
the log in his strong paws and rushed
with it against the tent and mashed it
down.
Fire was scattered everywhere. The
tent, the bed and clothing of the fright
ened family were soon in blaze. With
a howl of pain the cougar dropped the
fire brand and ran away. The family
were helpless while their clothes and
every morsel of food was consumed by
the fire. OF their suffering for three
days in this lonely mountain valley you
probably do not care to hear, When ]
returned they were nearly dead from
hunger and cold. But the cougar, lifeless
lay fifty yards away"