The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-25
CAPTURING A KITTEN.
an Adventure with Mountain Ii.
Ons in California.

out together to visit the children on a
farm about four miles distant. Charley
walked, his gun on his shoulder, and
rode our old white horse, Bob
did little more than keep pace with
my brother. l had been his companion
ever since he had been allowed to have
gun. 1 had gone with him on his
hunting expeditions TO carry the game,
and the old horse was often with us on
4 our wanderings through the woods.
We lived on IL largo farm high up
j among the mountains of the coast
j range of California. The country was
very sparsely settled, and visit to IL
y neighbor meant q jaunt of several
4 miles. had learned to shoot we'll, but
as we had but ono gun, and Charley
4 was boy, he usually claimed the right
I to the gun when we went hunting.
4 The moutnins were full of deer, Wild
cats and "coons." California lions and
81 panthers were occasionally seen, to
i say nothing of rabbits, quail and such
4 small game.
a On this day we left the house at about
i nine o'clock. We trudged and logged
q pleasantly along. but Charley did not
Il kill even squirrel, and 1 took pains to
4 tease him about his bad luck,
Il We spent the day with our young
Il friends, and started on our return ut
q about four o'clock in the afternoon.
a After we had left the main road and
Il taken the trail toward home, Charley
"a turned off into the woods to try to re-
a deem his reputation as a hunter. l
g might have followed him, but was in
81 haste to get homo. So l touched ND
81 old Bob with my whip, and logged
81 along down the lonely bride path.
81 Just as / was following bend in the
IA road, n mile and half beyond the
Y place where Charley and had parted,
# something attracted my attention in
~ what appeared to be pile OF leaves
= bedded in the hollow roots of u great
- oak. The object appeared to shine.
I'd turned my horse toward it to get a
50 closer view, and then discovered that
81 the shining came from the bright eyes
81 of several beautiful little creatures
81 which 1 at first took to be large kit
al tens; but when I dismounted found
&A that they were the cubs of u mountain
81 lion!
81 was delighted had always had n
81 fondncss for kittens, and these little
animals were much prettier than any
s kitten. They were plump and most
& beautifully marked. They got ND and
1; began to gambol and play with each
IA other in the most innocent and en-
81 tagging manner.
~ What ideal pets! Instantly the
81 thought came to me: "Why not capture
them and take them homer" Here
s. would be glory for me, to be sure How
78I would triumph over Charley!
<& / StOOna6 over and r,iclyad IN +r-o ~
}@them; there were four in ALL
"a l had much difficulty in mounting INV
3horse with the baby lions in my arms, for
&they wriggled and scratched and did
HSeverything in their power to prevent
- me from carrying them off; but at last
~ was in the saddle, and started off.
81 Fortunately my horse knew the road
81 and was perfectly safe; SO l merely
s. threw the bride over my arm. and
: held crying kitten in each hand.
ri How they did meow and souall.
q First one and then the other, and then
aaa duet.
81 All at once, in the midst of all this
yelling of the cubs, the thought flashed
~ across Iny mind that the mother would
probably come home, and finding two
- of her babies gone, go in quest of them;
S. and here was, creeping along on a
E& slow old horse, three miles from home.
with two young lions. 1t was about
thine to wake up old Bob!
"a 1 looked for my whip Il was gone
# Probably had dropped it in nv at
attempts to mount.
s. Here was new difficulty. 1t was
Is impossible for me to get off and on
a again with the big kittens in my arms.
y aud the old horse would trot along for
only u few steps, and then subside in
81 to bis usual slow walk. It was only
sby dint of hard kicking and fierce jerk
II ing of the bride that contrived to get
r. him into an occasion fair trot.
81 We had gone about mile farther,
land was cutting one of my kittens in
ITO submission, when / heard what I
81 fancicd WIS q g:owl behind me.
n | turned, but coull see nothing.
' Ncvcrtheless | felt Il little nervous,
s. and kicked my feet against the horses
fzasidas more vigorously than ever.
81 We Went on about two rods when I
.3hearl the same noise again. This time
|58I thought that could not be mistaken
ItSs3a and was not. Turninc, saw, 20 my
*3horror, t'lgt :. large California lioness
&43was cormirE II n deal run not one hun
sdrcd vards behind me.
5 Eve fcw steps She uttered n horrid
a,'ay:o vi ;:Gd .i'.c looked really lcndish.
ally trlrt sto, i still, .,us d.l not give
:43up. Old BoS, too. hcarl .hc noise, and