The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-07-13


| halt.
"They stood for a moment with
heads erect, ears pricked forward, and
tails switching eagerly, their yellow
eyes cleaning and scintillating. the
white spots on their breasts offering a
splendid target if had cared to shoot
at once. They were fine, sleek animals
with glossy coats, far more imposing
in looks, and much larger than the
panther of the East and South, and l
was anxious to bag both of them, which
thought might make sure of doing
if they attacked my bait, as l might
easily bore them both with single
shot from my Winchester if they got in
rarge.
They hesitated but an instant, few
seconds rather. then leaped the chan
mel of the stream with catlike jumps,
and approached the elk which they
cautiously shifted with pointed noses.
l rejoiced at the prospect of securing
two such magnificent cats.
Zone of them. the larger and male,
came up 10 the. bait first, snuffed it over,
licked the fresh blood about the neck,
then with a sudden proprietary air he
mounted the carcass with his forefeet,
gave a satisfied purr, that sounded like
the muffled drumming of partridge's
wings. and switching his tail about
with swapping rsotion at the end,
just as a cat with a fresh-caught mouse
in her paws might have done.
1.-The female took her turn at licking
the bloody neck, and snarled her cat
pleasure at the prospect of gratuitous
feast. They did not seem to be in the
least hungry for they made no move TO-
ward devouring, but after snuffing and
examining the game for a bit. they sat
about scratching leaves and dirt over
it, with the evident intention of pre-
serving or hiding it for future use.
Thinking my time had now come,
| shifted my position carefully, and
brought my gun to bear upon them.
waiting only for an opportunity to
make one bullet kill or cripple them
both, as feared that the unhurt one
would get out of sight before l could
get a fair shot at it.
Suddenly, the big one threw him
self upon the elk with a harsh snarl,
his hair raising on end, his ears laid
back, and his tail twitching viciously
as he lay at full length, his head turned
away from me, evidently watching
some object down the canyon. The
female too advanced nearly beside him,
her hair sticking out like bristles,
and her angry snarling was deeper and
more threatening than his.
''At first l could see nothing of the
intruder against which this fierce
threatening was launched, but l more
than suspected its nature, and my
excitement rose. Either another lion
or bear was approaching, felt GER
tain, and so it proved; it was grizzly,
and one of the largest had ever
scent
ale reared himself suddenly out of
the bed of the little stream, only few
yards from the lions, and the elk. He
had been travelling up the bed OF the
creek-as bears often do in a shallow
stream and attracted by the snarls
of the lions who had heard him COM
ing had emerged to see what the fuss
was about.
80 my delight he took in the stu
alton at a glance, and without min
ute hesitation he shambled toward
the bclligerent cats, mingling his
hoarse growls with their savage snarl-
ings.
81 had heard that the mountain lion
would not run from grizzly, but did
not believe it, and despite the fearful
threatening OF the two before me, l
expected to see them give way as the
monstrous bear came up. Imagine
my astonishment when as the grizzly
charged within leaping distance. both
OF the panthers sprang upon him in
stantly.
Il could not properly describe the
scene which followed; both brutes
pounced upon the grizzly tooth and
nail, and closed with him in such
fury Of savage outcries as made my
hair rise, and my whole body prickle
with intense excitement.
1.-The grizzly reared as the two ami.
mails struck him; as he came up into a
sitting position upon his launches he
shook the female lion from his shout
der. But the male lion held him by
the throat. his tawny body lay along
the bears belly, and his hind legs were
working with lightning-like speed and
strength.
THE bear opened his mouth wide,
and roared as he turned his head side
wise and downward, and strove to
catch his antagonists neck with his
teeth. He failed in his attempt, but at
the same moment he caught the lions
body just below the shoulders in a
clutch of his terrible claws, which
seemed literally to flatten the animal
between them.
1.-THE lion relaxed his hold OF the
bears neck. threw back his head, and
sought to writhe loose from the bear.