, 1889-07-12
AFTER MEXICAN LIONS.
SOARING FOUR OF THEM OUT
WITH AN IMPROvISED BOMB.

Hunter In the Lone Star State Got Tired
and Pinned for Larger Game-Daredevn
Bob HarPer's Proposition
Along in the COS W. II. Stephens, an
old and well known Texas frontiersmaI,
established a cattle ranch on the Medina
river, twelve miles above the town of
Bandera, and as his stock was large and
rapidly increasing he built several small
cabins in different parts of his range for
the convenience of his hands.
In 1870 the writer, with some half a
dozen companions, was up in the noun
tains above Bandera on a camp hunt,
and n night camped at one of Mr.. Ste
phens' "sub-ranches," as We called it,
which that night happened to be the
camping ground of Stephens himself
and some of his cowboys.
Stephens, or Uncle Billy, as he was
called, was enraged over the depreda-
tons of some varmint on his stock. He
had that day found a fine colt and a fine
Jersey bull calf dead and partially de-
voured, and, from the tracks, he was
satisfied that either a Mexican lion or a
painter" rs he called it, had killed his
animals.
lie said the country around abounded
In both. He and his men had killed n
number of each, and he knew the differ
ence between the two animals very well.
LOCATING TIE ~"cRITTERs."
Killing deer, turkeys and squirrels had
grown rather monotonous to our party,
and we determined to have n try for
larger game and more exciting sport.
We had several good hounds, and had
already enjoyed several night hunts for
wild cats and the like, of which we had
killed several.
One of Uncle Billy's hands said he was
satisfied he knew where a pair of lions
had their den, from the fact that a few
evenings before, about shutdown, he had
seen two cubs frolicking on a large rock
on a small hill densely covered with
brush, about five miles from camp, and
he knew tho old ones could not be far
Off.
He had no dog or gun with him, but
had determined to beat up their quar-
tiers the first convenient opportunity,
and he now offered to guide us to the
place. His offer was gladly accepted,
and the next morning our party set out
for the varmints' lair, accompanied by
Uncle Billy and the guide, John Jarvis.
A short chase brought us to what look
ed like a cav in a ledge of rocks, or
rather beneath the ledge, and the beaten
trail leading into it plainly showed that
it was occupied by some wild animals.
The dogs ran to the opening and
stopped. They shifted around, whining
and giving an occasional yelp, but de-
clined to enter. We approached eau
tiously and peered in, but could see
nothing.
At intervals, however, our ears were
greeted with a low growl. We knew we
had run something to its lair, but whether
it vas a lion, panther or bear, we could
not tell The next question was how to
induce whatever it was to come out and
be killed.
Leaving four of the coolest men and
best shots to watch the entrance, the bal
ance of the party began q search to see
if there was any other entrance to the
den or cave.
A short time satisfied us there was
not. and we returned, when a council Of
war was held. Bob Harper proposed that
two or three of us crawl In and see what
we could find We secuted the idea, and
Bob admitted that he was not in earnest
He was just enough of a daredevil to
have tried it, though. We tried to
smoke them out, but either the smoke did
not penetrate the cave or there were
crevices enough in the rocks for it to
escape. Anyhow, it didn't have the de-
sired effect.
UNCLE BnLY's BRIGHT IDEA.
A bright idea struck Uncle Billy. He
sent Jarvis back to our temporary camp