The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-05-14

in Lower California.
There she is.''
"Dsm't fire.
''Give the dogs chancel"
They and many other disconnected
sentences came from a crowd Of ladies
and gentlemen who, well mounted and
close upcn n pack of eager hounds, were
pushing into thick patch Of under
brush in the center OF the Arroyo Seco. a
dry canon OF river Just hack of Passss-
dcna. Cal.
Here the gtilch was well filed with tall
trees from whose branches there fell in
rich festoons masses OF wild grape and
clcmatis that formed ropes that deity
caught riders beneath the chin, and 80
tied up the dogs that they often became
fouled and yelped and howled in impo-
tent rage. The party had started half q
mile below in the clearing and had fol-
lowed up the eager dogs that had now
freed game of some kind. and, as they
gathered about the broken poplar high
up i'm one of the branches, there appeared
"a long. 1.-the body clinging to the limb.
while over the side peered tho ugly faca
of the wildcat. Excitement had been at
fever pitcA when the hounds struck the
trail. but now that the animal was in
full view, it fairly boiled over. even the
horses appearing TO be carried away
by it.
.'Stand back, ladiesl" shouted the
master of the hounds, who carried
light rifle. sometimes cat will Jump
for her life, and they will scratch when
they land.
The ladies fell back a little, and
youngster in the party volunteered to
climb the tree and dislodge the common
enemy. Handing the bride of his horse
to a rider, he seized the pendent grape
vine and swung up into the tree, and
few moments later was making his way
along the branch toward the crouching
cat. She was so intently engaged in
looking at the dogs that at first she did
not see him, bat when he rounded the
trunk she suddenly caught sight of the
new enemy, drew back with quick
growI, glanced this way and that. as if
measuring the chances, and, perhaps
would have jumped, when the climber
deity strgck her from behind and down
she went, with a scream Of rage into tic
red mouths below. The blood and fur
flew, for puss was game, and not a few
good dogs backed out, wiping their heads
and ragged ears. But the game was up,
and it was with great difficulty that the
skin " 3s saved for the rug which is the
trophy of the wildcat hunt.
Hunting this short tailed feline is a
feature of southern California out door
sports. The deep canons that radiate
down from the Sierra Madres form their
retreat and that of large game in general.
After a rain the hunts arc organized, and
then the paw marks are distinctly seen
and the scent fresh, and as the storm
clouds blow away from the mountain
sides and the warm sun comes ont the
bay of the hounds Of some sportsman is
nearly always heard. The wildcat OF
/ tbs country is large, powerful animal.
approaching the lynx, also found here, IN
size and general appearance, and largo
enough TO iniiict dangerous wounds upon
man on beast.
On one occasion the hounds came upon
a fresh scent IN an extremely narrow
| place IN the canon, where precipitous
| rocks rose on one side and heavy brush
on the other. The dogs rushed into the
/ latter, and a moment later a large cat
] bounded into the narrow stream and
! began an Intellectual scramble up tho
/ rocky sides. A bullet caught her before
she had gone thirty feet, and, turning
with a snarl of rage, she leaped directly
] into the air, fell upon the neck of a
! broncho, disInounted the rider In the
melee, and before she could be dislodged
! tore and lacerated the animal IN fear
| full manner. Kittens are often seen in
! play to take one another in their mouths
and to scratch with their hind feet, and
| it was this plan that was adopted by the
cat. She fastened her claws into tho
/ broncho's neck, and with her sharp hind
claws ripped and clawed until the animal
was mass of blood and lacerated flesh,
then fell among the dogs, to be torn to
I pieces amid protest that showed it to be
among the gamest animals.
you may talk about your mountain
! lion,' said an old hunter as we rodo
slowly up the Arroyo one early morning
after the rain, with the whirnpering dogs
all about, ''but l would rather take my
chances with one any time than with a
! pair of wildcats at close quarters. 1t just
seems as If a cat loses its head like. They
know they're caught. and they are just
bound TO have it out if it takes all sum
mer They fight worse when there is a
pair, just Ike mountain lion. ''-Phila-
| delphia Times.
Gar Nicholas f1i Love.