Daily Kennebec journal., 1891-08-18
With that we started toward the roo.

The California lion may have leglti-
mate name, but this is the only enc
have ever heard applied to him. He be-
longs to the panther and wildcat fam
lilies, being, l believe, cross between
the two.
The animals are much larger than wild
cats, and when hungry are very ferocious.
One is sufficiently powerful to pull down
deer, and two viii make short work OF
a buffalo Their home Is in the noun
tains, but they come to the plains and
down into the canyons in search of food.
We spent the afternoon talking with
our new acquaintances. who seemed well
informed on many subjects Curley,
who was not a bad Mexican scholar, car
ried on IA brief conversation with the
Young wife in her mother tongue. No
clew, however, did he obtain as to her
former history.
They gave us coffee, bread and fried
bacon for supper, and our host surprised
and delighted us by producing from his
trunk some cigars. Not lamp nor
candle of any description did they have.
When darkness came on they went to
bed or Oh watch, as the case might be.
We told them all to retire whenever
they felt disposed, and they wanted not
"A second bidding, We saw that our
rifles were in good order, and that our
ammunition was handy. then we per
mitted the fire to die out .
Not long did we wait; we had not been
on guard more than half an hour, when
Curley whispered to me, Did you see
that thing sneaking up here:'
had already seen it; but it was only
a COYOTE, so l said, 1T is nothing but IA
coyote; we must not shoot, it will fright
en- the lions"
Il believe You are right" said Curley.
But how about this senator that is ap-
proaching?'
Sure enough here came IL large lion
walking proudly along scarcely thirty
| yards from us.
do not fire." said Curley. "Wait
| until we can get more of them"
| A few minutes later four large lions
were in our immediate front. The man
| had certainly told the truth thus far,
whatever his intention as to farming
| might be.
"You take the one on the left, and I'll
take the one on the right" said Curley.
| "Are you ready?'
Ready" replied.
| "Fire!"
The report of our rifles and the screams
of the startled sleepers We're almost 81
| multaneous; the three We're sleeping
soundly and the shots naturally startled
| them. | threw another cartridge into
| my rifle and fired at an escaping lion,
bnt | doubt if I injured him. We re-
built the fire and dragged two fine speci-
| mems of the brutes where its light would
allow us to inspect them. had shot one
| through the heart and Curley had sent a
| bullet through the brain of the other.
| Il think we had better leave them
outside" said Curley; ''the others will
scent. the blood and come back"
Whether they scented the blood or
not | am not prepared to say, but back
they certainly came. We waited until
a good opportunity offered, and then, at
| a given signal. fired again. Two more
large lions fell, and Curley succeeded in
loading and shooting one that was en-
deavoring to escape. This made five
| that we had killed. After watching
| another hour without any result, we
made up the fire and slept until sunrise.
The little family were overjoyed at be-
holding our nights work, and succeeded
in convincing us OF their sincere graft
| tude.
After breakfast Curley skinned the five
animals and gallantly presented the pelts
to the young wife. As we bade goodby
to the rock family he said, IF you rub a
little strychnine over these carcases and
stake them at some little distance from
your ranch you will not be troubled
much longer by the lions"
Then, with cordial farewell, we pro
ceeded down the river to overtake the
command Il. l.. in brakes Magazine.
| Three million four hundred andeighty-
four thousand two hundred and eighty
head of cattle were received at Chicago
| in 1890.