The Iola register., 1891-07-17
CHILDREN'S COLUMN.
Chasing a Mountain Lion.

q
These words were addressed to me one
morning last February by an old ranch
man living along the Yampa river
above here: and as he spoke he pointed
to some large tracks near his corral. 1t
was the track of large mountain lion
which had been. without doubt sneak
ing around the corral the night before:
looking for. to him, a delicate morsel
in the shape OF a young calf. We could
see by the tracks that the lion or puma,
as tney are sometimes called. had cir
cled around the correl several times and
then. evidently not finding things to
his liking, had made straight back for
the highest mountains on the range to
the east
Now. at that time, to kill mountain
lion seemed to me to be the very height
of nv ambition, and il never occurred to
me that the old ranchman was guying
me, as fonud out to be the case later,
to my sorrow. These lions travel enor-
nous distances in night and seldom
stop near the valley.
Ny preparations were soon made
took my Marlin rife. 1910, belt of cart
ridges aud hunting knife, and getting
on my snow shoes started out, all ex-
citement at the prospect of killing a
mountain lion. which feat l confidently
expected 10 accomplish in an hour at
least. The air was cold and frosty, and
the snow creaked as | glided swiftly
along on my snow shoes across thelevel
valley and up onto the mesa land be-
yond. keeping close TO the lions trail
the while. On it went into the foothills
and straight up the mountain side.
Here had considerable difficulty in fol-
lowing it. as the side of the mountain
was very steep and had to "tack"-go
first one way and then the other across
the trail, but as there was a good crust
made fairly good time.
began to think it time TO run onto
the lion. and as | came onto the ridge
before going down into a dark and
dreary canon that came diagonaliy down
the mountain | was sure that he must
be there and was all alert as l strained
my eyes down into its gloomy depths.
Yes, surely, | saw something move in
the thick mesquite bushes that covered
the bottom of the canon. Now was the
time to cover myself with glory.
drew up my Marlin, took good aim and
fired. / came closer to the bank and
looked at the bunch of bushes, expect
ing to see lion in his last throes, but
saw instead, alas, a porcupine looking
surprisedly UP the bank at me. He
seemed to wink at me and with a you're
excusable smile betook himself down
the canon.
On looking up Isaw that the lion had
kept along the side of the canon, and
my adventure with the porcupine had
made me so mad that pushed on more
rapidly than before. Noon came, but
as I had brought nothing to eat had to
go hungry, as l would not go back with
out catching sight of the lion, as knew
I would be laughed at,
1t was nearly o'clock, and l was
slowly climbing the steep cliff at the
very top of the divide! AT the top of
the ridge the rocks were piled around
in picturesque profusion, and | was
slowly making my way through them
on nv snow shoes, when, glancing TO
the right, saw sight that rooted me
to the spot, while hot and cold waves
raced up aud down my spinal column.
There stood the object of my search not
twenty feet from me, evidently as much
surprised as myself. We stood there
some minutes each afraid to move. Soon
the lion crouched down, while his tail
moved from side to side, and his beady
ewes shone with a wicked CLEAN. |
knew ii was then or never. | hastily
raised nv rife and pulled the trigger.
Click. had failad to put a cartridge in
the barrel after my adventure with the
porcupiue. | hastily threw down the
lever. and, without taking particular
aim fred at anything. The lion turn
ed and ran up the ridge. l fred FIVE
times in quick succession as he was run
ming. and was satisfied at seeing the
snow turn crimson as he ran. l followed
him up. and at the top Of the divide he
lay dead. 1t was now dark and | made
preparations for spending the night.
collected a lot of wood under spread
ing spruce and lighted a fire. Then
dragged up the lion and skinned him by
the freight and roasted some of the
meat which tasted good after going
hungry all day. made my bed that
night leaning up against that old spruce
tree and dreamed Of ice and snow, hung
~ and cold, Wild beasts and many
others disgreable things / was awak-
ened several times during the night by
wild animals coming near and once
could make out the dim outlines of
some large animal against the white
background of snow, but as soon as I
punched up the fire he scampered Of
It was light when next awoke and
preparing ny breakfast Of fresh meat
I made preparations for nv homeward
journey. In walking little way to the
east TO get nv bearings for the home
ward Journey found myself On the thin
edge OF the mountain divide. Away to
both sides stretched range after range
Of snow-capped and rugged mountains,
while the forest Of pine and spruce in
their somoer green filed all the valleys
and canons. Way down at the foot of
the range. at least twelvs miles the ice
bound river. a thin silver thread,
wound around steep bluff and disap-
pea-eo. The silence of death lay upon
everything: not even the sound of fall
ing water. which is almost omnipresent
IN Colorado. could be heard. Ali
around was aa aboriginal, primeval for
est, rocky waste. Arctic snow.
Nothing but silence. l did not tarry
long. The silence. cold. dark view
chilled me and made me "blue' for 1
wonteo some life. some color. some
warmth. Il had taken a day TO come
up but / knew that could 90 back in
a few hours, so tying the lion skin on
ny back l slipped ny feet il the lath-
ers OF the snowshoes and started down
the steep mountain side Il was a glor-
ioas ride. Without an sFeyt 1 sped