The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-26

the White river in that state, that his
friend knew, and his comrades thinking
that Hall came from Arkansas, gave him
sobriquet by which he is still known: and
many who call him "Arkansaw," do not
know his right name. He would rather
talk about his rifle and dogs than himself.
my rife? Why that is n SINGLE shot Win
chester, with telescope by William Malcomb.
of Syracuse New York, and is the best that
is made. My eyes are not quite SO good
now, for l am 62 years of age, but with
this rifle l can kill a deer a quarter of a
mile away. / only use the telescope when
the range is over 100 yards. l don't want
to have a magazine explosion when after
game, and hence l prefer the single shot
rifle, l always carry extra cartridges in my
second shot at a deer or even Il mountain
lion or bear, when in close quarter
Arkansaw is fond of his dogs and old
rifle. and no until he had described them,
did he tell me the story of how he captured
"Ridgeway." the lion. 1t would be of lit
tie use for a writer to talk with a western
sportsman, If he could not sympathize with
him in his affection for tho rifle and hunt
ing dogs, for they really are the ''tools'' of
the chase.
Arkansaw and Texas, together with four
of their favorite dogs, were on a mountain
lion hunt. They soon came on the tracks of
u lion and put the dogs on the trail. The
lion was freed in n few minutes. Tho yelp-
ing of one of the dogs Brought the hunters
to the spot, and on discovering what a fine
lion it was Arkansaw resolved to take it
alive. 1T is dangerous to attempt to cap
tuie n lion when he is fresh in
the chase, and hence We scared him out of
the tree to round him. Every time u
lion makes u big leap it knocks some of the
wind out of him. The dogs ran him up an
other tree about half r mile distant. from
which we made him jump. thereby getting
more wind out OF him. and as we nesred
the third tree into which the dogs had run
the lion, we heard Il terrible barking. Says
| to Tex" added Arkansaw, :" either the
lion has got the dogs or the dogs the lion,'
for there was some lively barking and
growing, and the underbrush WAS cracking
AS though there was II hard fight going on.
1t was most likely that the lion had the
best of tho fight, for after Tex and l had
hurried to thr spot the lion was up the tree
and the four dogs were barking ut
him. Notwithstanding the bnttle be-
tween the dogs and lion, he still seemed to
he IN pretty good condition for a fight, and
we thought it best to wind him some more
by running him to the next tree. which the
dogs accomplished, about half Il mile dis
tant. This WAS the fourth tree i'll Il chase
of about two miles, and the lion having but
little wind left i'll him Tex and | prepared
to capture him.
The lion was up the tree about twenty
iNN Stf bhS aAsS NAAt ~
giving the lasso u quick swing | landed the
loop over the lion head, and gave it Il hard
pull around the neck. Then the circus
began. The lion feeling the coil tighten
the neck, gave Il fearful leap into
the air. Well, l hardly know how far it
Jumped or how often. With powerful
blows from it's paws it would knock the;dogs
head over heels. All this time l was
pulling at the rope, which, with
the worry caused by the dogs,
got all the wind ont of the lion. Tex
then. watching for Il good opportunity,
gave an nnderhand throw with u lasso,
catching the lion by II hind leg. Then with
one lasso over tho head. and another on a
hind leg. We were perfectly safe, for by
pulling both ways, the lion could reach
neither one of us. We put tho lion in a
wagon, hauled i to town and there no Ia
now in the Gaze.
Arkansaw explained that ii was easy to
train Il dog to follow the trail of a lion and