The Red Cloud chief., 1892-04-08

take fright and run away. and was not
willing to risk his coming down into
the lick.
my gun was already cooked, and,
raising it very carefully, l rested it on
the top of the log, and took careful
aim. The buck was standing with his
left side turned partly toward me, and
j had as fair a chance fol a shot as
could nave beer desired. / was greatly
excited, but the rest over the top of the
log gave me a good chance. and / was
confident that / could settle Mr.. Bucks
account with this world the first h
land l did. did not delay an in
slant. but the moment / got ain l
pulled trigger. Crack! went my gun,
and the buck, giving vent to a sort of
snort or cry, leaped several feet in the
air. Coming down. he whirled and
gave two leaps in the opposite direc-
ton from me, and then fell to the
ground in his death struggles.
Maybe you think / wasn't tickled at
the result of my shot. / uttered a
shout of delight, and, leaping to my
feet, ran to where the buck lay. He
"do JuSI hAChiLS ho iooS WIN 81
there. and l was so taken up with
looking at the buck, and gioating over
him. that / never once thought of re-
loading my gun. My whole mind was
| taken up with the deer, and my only
| thought was: How shall / get him
home?'
1T would be impossible for me to
get the bucks carcass home by myself.
and, after some study, l decided to
meat, wrap it in the hide. and carry it
home for dinner, then father. and to-
gether could GO il the wagon after din
ner. and get the deer.
This | at once proceeded to do. l
was far from being an expert at this
kind OF business, but | managed after
about three hours hard work to get
the buck skinned. Just as i finished
and rose to my feet l heard a noise be-
hind me. Not thinking of danger, l
turned my head and glanced back over
my shoulder. There right behind me,
and not more than ten feet distant,
were two mountain lions. The noun
tain lion is the largest of the panther
species. and by far the most ferocious
and powerful. knowing this, for / had
heard father speak of them ~often,I was
almost paralyzei with fright, and stood
rooted to the spot with horror. Only
for a moment, however: the instinct of
self-preservation is strong in all of us.
and in a moment | was flying through
the timber at a rate of speed perfectly
wonderful. expecting at every leap to
feel the terrible claws of or both
of the lions.
Luckily they did not pursue me.
Evidently the carcass of my deer pre-
scented too great an attraction for them
just then. and they let me go as a re-
ward for presenting them with such a
fine dinner. | suppose.
Il ran till i was tired out, and then
sank down on the ground and gasped
! for breath. | was terribly put out over
the affair. Here | had succeeded in
killing a fine fat buck only to have him
eaten by a couple of mountain lions.
BY rights / should have been thankful
for my escape, but, boy-like, 1 did not
think of that then; l could think of
| IOliiHP out ils ioSh oNSi
Il was IN a terrible stew: l did not
know what to do. | could let the lions
have nv deer-though | hated to bad
enough-but | could not return home
without my gun, which was at that
very moment lying on the ground not
five feet from where the two lions
were devouring my buck. i had been
too frightened to think about securing
il when ! ran, and it would have done
ne no particular good at the time, as it
was not loaded. If / had thought to
bring it, however. l could have loaded
it and returned and shot one or both of
the lions as they were busy eating my
deer. At any rate that is the way 1
figure it now" and Jim smiled and ac-
cented the now" as he spoke.
I'm afraid you wouldn't have fig
ured it out that wal them laughed his
wife.
We'll. not having the gum con.
tinued Jim. Il could net return with
the intention of shooting the lions, but
| made up my mind to return just the
same. / was bound not to go back
home without my gun: the folks would
never have gotten over laughing at mt
if | had. made up my mind to wait
till | was sure the lions had finished
eating my buck and departed, and then
return and get my gun. If | had time,
I intended to try for another deer be-
fore going home.
We'll. l waited fully two hours. and
then. slowly and carefully, for l didn't
know but l might run On to the lions. |
made my way back to the scene of my
triumph and my discontinue. / kept
a bright lookout, you may be sure; but
seeing nothing of the lions as l APP
preached the spot where 4 had felled
the deer. I concluded that they had
filled themselves up. and then, being
fully satisfied. had returned to their
lair.
Thinking thus. | threw aside my
caution, and advancing, picked up my
gun and took 4 look at my buck There
was nothing left but bones. and. just
as / was on the point of turning
away, | heard a noise behind me, and
turned. to see the TWO mountain lions
crouching on the ground within a yard
of me.
II was worse scared, if possible, than