The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-12-31
VOL. XXXII1. NO. l4-WHOLE NO. 1878. CRESCO, HO

mai nad taln QOWn 10 rest, WniIe the
other. probably its mate, had stood
by As the hunters paused here the
loud barking of the dogs was heard at
some little distance. SO clapping spurs
to the ponies the party went forward
at gallop.
The hounds were found to have
gathered about a small heap Of earth
and stones, on which stood an enor.
nous mountain lion defying them
with blazing eyes and waving tufted
tail lie was a magnificent male. with
tawny skin marked with velvety blacks
bearing as full of pride as any monarch
ofArabian desert, and roar that woke
the echoes in the mountain gorges far
above his defiant head The yellow
smoothness Of his 81 dc was broken by
jagged wound outlined in dark clot-
ted blood, but his courage was un-
daunted by the yelping pa ck Of dogs
that surrounded him. making false
starts at him, yet afraid to attack him.
OF his mate nothing was to be seen.
The hunters, each anxious to claim the
lion as his trophy, pressed forward
and. aiming over the surglng mass Of
hounds. fred upon the majestic crea-
ture facing death SO resolutcly.
Wounded in half dozen plac cs, the
lion sprung into the air with q scream
of agony and rage, then fell, to be in
stantly covered by the dogs. barking
in triumph over a defeated foe. But
they had nattered themselves too soon
that the prey was theirs, for with
desperate courage the lion struck out
right and left, sending his enemies
heels over head with blows of his pow
erful paws and ripping and tearing
with his unshcathed claws and giant
molars- Their rcd blood mingled with
his own and dyed the sand crimson.
and they gave back for an instant. un-
til, seeing that the mountain king
was dying even as he fought. they re-
turned to the battle.
But as they fell upon him a roar
from the frowning heights OF the
mountains proclaimed that another foe
was Mt hand The mate was returning
and had scented the battle from
afar. In another moment she leaped
into view, pausing on the pinnacle of q
tall spire OF rock and surveying the
scene below with an angry cant of her
sleek, cat-lilxc head. Outlined against
the tender blue Of the morning sky she
seemed yellow carving of yellow
marble, but only for brief moment.
for as her topaz eyes caught sight of
her dead mate and the frantic dogs,
she sprung down to the crag next be-
meath her, just as q volley Of shots
shattered the extreme end Of the
one she had that instant left
She descended with magnificent bounds
that sent her 1.-the body from peak to
peak with incredible rapidity, paying
not the slightest apparent attention to
the dogs or the hunters and seeming
only to sec the fallen monarch below.
She reached the little gorge where he
lay. A second vollcy had failed to stay
her as she came bounding down, but
now third greeted her as she sprung
from the last spur of rock, and gush
of crimson blood marked where some
bullet had found q home in her quiv-
ering flank.
Then for the FIRST time she seemed to
notice her human foes, and leaping to
| the side of her dead mate faced them
with q roar of defiance. even as she
bent her head and licked the bloody
carcass at her feet The dogs, taking
this for sign of timidity, few at her
ferociously, but the lioness, rendered
furious and reckless by her mates
death, met this attack with q savage
determination that sent sever al away
yelping, wounded severely, and
stretc he'd others dead. while all hesi-
tated to continue the fight
Turning once more to her dead COM
panion she bestowed one loving caress
on his stiffened form and then faced
the mountain, and would have sprung
away had not the hunters, who had
feared to FIRE upon her before lest they
wound the dogs instead, here succeeded
| in breaking one of her shoulders by q
| single shot out of q score. She fell for
| ward with a cry and rolled over on the
yellow sands that drank her blood
Once more the dogs attacked her. and
though she fought like fury with
tooth and nail they mastered her.
Again and again she endeavorcd to
right herself, only to fall forward on
the broken bone, while her determined
foes tore at her limbs and sought her
slender throat The hunters endeav-
ored to call off the frantic hounds, but
they could not be induced to leave their
prey, to which they clung until the
beautiful wild creature lay dead and
mangled beside her mate.-Galena
| MEX. Cor. Of Philadelphia Times