The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-09-14
has made Ihe QUITO a little over $50,
prospector. In the suiA:ous tariff tax,
beast are encountered in Ia part of ii
ged and lonely regions uhnfit is dist


place to place, never complaining ana
never resting for a day. They are the
peripate;ics OF the mountains Of the
West. the man unlienlpt and unused TO
the ways of refined people, but the per
sonifcation of honor, and the beast
mean looking and sullen in appearance,
but faithful to every trust.
The ferocious mountain lion. or cou-
gar, is deadly foe Of the prospector's
gentle servant and pet. The cougar lies
in wait for the burvo As he would for
lamb that had wandered to the borders
OF his native jungle. The buro is driv-
en- mad with terror when the cougar APP
proaches. and he viii rush for protec-
ton into the cabin to his masters side,
even bursting dow Il the door sometimes
in his frenzy.
While passing oveu4.he trail in the
Salmon river country in Idaho, the
traveller is compelled in the winter to
seek cabin in the forest for shelter at
night. In one of these little hhts by
the trail, twenty miles from the habita-
ton OF any white nan, save possibly
some recluse like himself, 4 well-bnown
old prospector made his home last win
ter. A traveller when winter was al
most over was the first visitor to the cid
mans quarters in the abandoned placer
camp. The old man was found in . pitt
able condition physically and sadly dis
heartencd. During the very severe win
ter the cougars, after repeated unsuc-
cessful efforts, had killed his favorite
/! burro. So bold were the ferocious beasts
that it became necessary to keep the
| burro in the cabin at night, and the at
tacks were repeated day after day, when
the burro ventured out to browse the
bushes by the trail that led to tho
spring. Two of the mountain lions had
| fallen victims to the old mans deadly
rife, and their skins were used for q
carpet on the cabin floor. This was be-
fore the snow had fallen to great
! depth in the narrow little valley. One
| day, however, the brro WIS surprised
and killed not ten rods from the cabin
| by the sly beast of feline instincts, and
| the old prospcctor heard no alarm till he
/ saw the blood-stained SNOW and found
! tho trail where his poor Bouquc had
been dragged down tho mountainslde
to replenish tho cougars larder. The
old mans rage was so great that.h1s dis
erection was overcome. lie seized his
rife and FASTENED away on the deeply
marked fresh trail OF the murderous
brute and the lifeless victim. On he went
till the cougargrew tired of She burdenh
dragged, and buried it in the snow TO
answer for another meal some other
day. Bat the scene OF slaughter had
aroused the old man, and he had deter
mined to hunt the cougar to his den and
slay him. Rife in hand he FASTENED
over to the rocky canyon, miles from
his cabin. He could track the brute IL
the soft snow, and he did not take ac-
count of distance or failing strength,
so intent was he upon seeing his quarry
behind every ledge or clump of trees
he approached. But he grew more des'
perate as the fresh footprints showed
that the cunning brute had eluded hin
so often Just as he expected to behold
his rlarinr e,ves or his skulking form.
Inc o1tl i1dn was afouseu oJ Wy
blasts of storm. He knew veil wna'
was the terror of a winter storm in the
. mountains without shelter. he was II
the rocky canyon he had often seen bu'
dreaded to try to explore, but his course
he knew we'll was toward his cabin
The whiriing wind obliteratee tht
; tracks of the cougar. He abandoned
the hunt and pressed on the wear.
tramp to shelter. Lis failing strength
soon was realized, with o horrible dreae
s Of the probable consequences, But ~
gathered new strength from the mo
. mentary desperation The storm tf hun
i derea with renewed fury; The olf
man gerea With benumbed senses
In d delusiYe dream he became pos
, sessed with al desire to slee tt
laborgAi on. bu T. he was hslf aslasD.s ~