The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-02-04
An Eariy Morning Adventure.


MARY E. TanaySe
An Early Morning Adventure.
About three years ago two young
men, Walter Robbins and John Ben
net, operatives in a Lynn shoe factory,
finding themselves unable to save up
much money by their work, and des
pairing of getting ahead much at the
east; turned all their possessions int
cash, went out to Wyoming territory.
and embarked in the business of sheep
farming. They located on one of the
tributary creeks of the North Platte
river, at the foot of the mountains.
Very early one morning, not long
ago, they slaughtered a fat sheep and
hung it up to the limb of pine tree, a
few yards sway from the door of their
shack" or slab house. Then while
Robbins dressed the sheep, Bennett
proceeded to get breakfast, and fried 8
mess of the fresh sleeps liver.
Breakfa t teing ready about the time
that Robbins finished his task, his part
ner called him in, and they sat down at
a table inside to eat While they were
thus agreeably occupied, they were
suddenly disturbed by the cracking Of
the pine boughs, and heard a thud, as
of some heavy body falling to the earth.
They rose hastily from the table and
stepped to the door, and were astonish-
ed by the sight Of large tawny- colored
animal, making off with their mutton!
1t was mountain lion which had
come boldly up to the shack while they
were eating, and leaping among the
branches where the carcass hung, had
broken them down and secured the Ell
tire sheep!
After one hasty glance, they both
turne to snatch down their "Winches-
ters,' and Robbins, getting out little
ahead, fired several shots at the creature
as it loped off up the narrow valley of
the creek But the active movements
of the animal, Notwithstanding the
weight of mutton it was carrying, pre-
vented him from getting good aim,
and he failed to touch the creature
The lion kept its course up the canon
for several hundred yards, and then
disappeared in one Of the deep, narrow
gulches or draws that open out into the
creek valley.
"He's gone into that drawn said
Walter. excitedly. "Now Wen get him
if he hasn't got a deep den in there.
You go round on top of the hill, to the
head of the draw, John, and I'll 60 into
the draw; and if I don't shoot him in
there, you'll get good shot as he
comes out" ..-5srI'a.
"All right" said Bennett, but be
sure and leave me time enough to make
the head of the draw"
Gun in hand the two men started st
a run. Bennett went up over the bluffs,
and Robbins hurried up the bed OF the
gulch.
Walter soon reached the entrance to
the draw which was merely deep
70 XIV notch, thickly grown to buffalo
berry bushes and stunted pines. Here
he waited, until he thought Bennett
must surely have reached the head of
the draw, though, owing to sharp
curve in the ravine, which prevented
him from seeing. he was not able to
determine the fact He then started
hurriedly up the narrow, bush-grown
waterway, at the bottom, holding his
rifle in readiness for shot
He soon found himself entering
gloomy, pocket-like ravine, with sides
rough, steep and forbidding. He ter
wards admitted that he knew it to be
rash undertaking. but he was deter
mined to have satisfaction for that
mutton and pushed on with more haste
than prudence, scrambling over bould-
ers that lay in the bed of the waterway,
and forcing passage through thickets
of brush that overhung it. All the
time, too, he kept sharp lookout for
the panther which he expected to startle
out of its hiding place by the noise of
his approach.
He did start the creature presently,
and knew that he was on its trail; for
upon several of the big rocks which lay
at the bottom he discovered traces of
blood where the fresh carcass had been
dragged over them.
A moment later he came to sharp
curve in the gulch, formed by point
of rocks jutting out into it. Here the
water-bed suddenly widened to plat
of hard earth, overhung and darkered
on one side by a low, beetling ledge of
red rocks, and shut out on the other by
a brushy slope, so steep and ragged
that man would have found it difficult
to climb.
The sun was not yet very high, and
the whole gnlch was still in shadow; so
that although Walter had now brought
himself face to face with the panther,
he was first made aware of its presence
by low snarling that came from the
base of the projecting ledge.
Even then, so dark was the place,
that he was obliged to look as sharply
as he could to see him Then he caught
first the yellow CLEAN of the creatures
eyes and then the outline of its body,
drawn up in angry attitude, against the
dark red background of rocks. he
beast clearly meant mischief, and had
no notion of retreating from its lair
under the lodges.
Robbins leveled his Winchester and,
with hands that shook with excitement,
took as good aim as he could. The
hammer clicked as he pulled the trigger.
but there was no report
He threw the lever forward quickly
and looked to see what was the matter.
The barrel was empty. There was lot
q cartridge in the magazine.
He had, without being aware OF It,
fired all the cartridges there were in the
gun at the panther as it ran from the
pine tree; and hi cartridge belt, at that
moment, lay in the shack. In his haste
and excitement he had been grossly
and stupidity careless.
For an instant he stood still, staring
at the beast, which, still crouching
there, dashed its sides and threatened
him with ferocious snarls and fright
fal display of its bloody mouth and
wicked looking fangs
He was about to risk O retreat, BACK
ward, for he was afraid TO turn his faes
from the brute, when be heard ssasek