St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-02-22
DESPERATE ENCOUNTER
Between odd Hank" and q Big,
Ferocious Cougar.
The Brave Hunter. Though Taken by Sur
prise and Severely Wounded ut
the First, Proves too Much for
the Powerful Beast.

A few days ago Mr.. II. Z. Woodson
familiarly known all over the countr,
as 'Old Hank" was brought into towl
to have broken arm and several severe
wounds looked after. He was indebted
for these, he said. to an enormous cou
gar he had encountered the day before
Old Hank is a famous hunter, and is
probably the best shot in the State
having sabsisted for the past thirty
years almost entirely on the game
killed by himself. lie was the frs,
white man TO take up his habita tion in
Tom Green County. and on first coming
to this section built himself, some six
miles from here. on the Middle Fork of
the Concho, small log hut, in which he
Is still residing. This hut is literally
crowded with trophies of his skill, each
OF which has some interesting story
connected with it. When it was learned
that Old Hank was in town with fresh
adventure to relate. he soon had large
audience collected to hear it. The
sturdy old hunter, who is nearing his
sixticth birthday, was found decorated
with splints, bandages, and yard or
two of court plaster, but though one
cheek had been laid open to the hone,
nc was quite willing to entertain us
with the narrative of his desperate
fight with the cougar. In his own
words the story is this:
Il was jolting on toward home with .
big buck strapped behind me that I'd
just killed a piece up the river. 1t was
nearly dark, SO slung him up. all bleed
ing as he was, and the blood kept drip
ping all along the road, and it must have
been by that that the cougar tracked
me. for the first thing knew q scream
broke out behind me that made the air
ring like bell. Ever heard one of
those beasts yell? Sounds something
like woman with a powerful pair OF
lungs screeching at the top of her voice
as If she was in mighty distress. My
horse knew what that scream meant,
for it wasn't the first time he and had
heard that sound together, though it
hadn't been lately, for the beasts are
scarcer than they used to be. He
jumped forward. and if l hadn't held on
pretty tight would have fallen almost
on the caugar. for he wasn't but two or |
three feet behind me. spurred up. for |
they're pretty tough customers, with |
mighty little or no scare in them, and |
had just come to part of the road that |
ran through patch of live-oak trees,
which cut off all light from the moon,
which was just rising, so If could man
age it thought Id rather not tackle
the crittcr.
But it seemed like he meant to
tackle me. or rather to have that deer
at all hazards, for as looked back at
him saw the brute gather himself up
into ball, and before I could wheel
around he landed with one spring ON
my shoulders. bearing me to the saddle.
The horse staggered, and fairly yelled
nc was SO badly scared, and as l rolled
of him broke down the road in a gallon,
taking the deer with him. The cougar
and l fell together, with me underneath.
The fall with that heavy weight on me
me for q moment, and I Law
stlll. but TO be real scared acts some-
times like bucket of cold water doused
On you, SO came to in little while,
nrst tried to throw the brute off, but
ne clung so tight couldn't even bulge
llm: then | tried to roll over and over.
thinking l could make him let loose
nat way, but he was too heavy for that.
md besides my left arm began TO hurt I
ne like fits and couldn't lift it. NV
tx was getting desperate. when the
COUGAR, thinking he had me, l reckon,
stuck his head around to get at my I
hrcat That's their way, YOU know. of
Killing their prey-just catching it un-
Ter the throat, tearing hole. and
thinking the blood as it gushes out.
This was my chance, for as the great
ats head reached around dug nv
niger as deep into one Of its ewes as s
ould. 1t howled like fury and snap
ed at my cheek. giving me this beauty :
pot, but l knew it was nip and tuck
low, SO gouged and gouged till the
hing let go. The moment it did made
break up the road, for I knew mighty i
Tell the matter wasn't ended, and I b
,anted to get out Of that dark belt of q
-ood to where the moon. wouA let me
ee what l had to fight, for. take NV =
'ord for it, that sort OF . rumpns isn't
ieasant in the dark. Sare enough here b
anne the cougar. but was better pre-
ared for him this time, for, though s
ad dropped my gun when fell OF my I n
0rse. had my hunting knife ost hS | y
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