Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-03-24

Se'AS' Stn Po.ou a. ShoAnOcT Vi MS revolt.
yer in the direction of shaggy bruin
At one point in the canyon the cliffs
nearly met overhead, making a mar
tial twilight. Only at one point was
the ice rough, that was short rand
but even here it was smooth inshora
The bracing cold added strength and
vigor to his limbs, and he was fra.
quently surprised at the ease with,
which he shot over the TRANSPARENT
surface.
1t was fully seven miles to the last
trap, in which he found a marten
Thence he proceeded leisurely on bis
return. He had excellent luck. al.
though from several OF the traps ha
found that the game had been torn
out and eaten. He laid this to the
account of the wolverine, an animal
of thievish propensities, having some
days before shot one in the very act
of robbing a trap. Game, however
was becoming scarce for the larger
animals, and they had already driven
off lions that were hanging around
the dusout, attracted by the smell
of the t1ayed carcasses of the game.
While thus leisurely skating he was
startled by a shrill cry up the river.
1t sounded piercingly down the
trough OF the canyon. He listened in
tently. The scream was answered
f frG% on Gsg nj 5mgso,g} orge :. Bsh
cowardly mountain lion" Neverthe-
less he involuntarily quickened his
pace. He had just emerged from the
examination of q trap in side can.
yon, when he gave glance up the
river and beheld what sent the blood
tingling to the ends of his fingers. Not
more than 200 yards away were three
enormous mountain lions, with hair
all on end, their long, black-tipped
tails apparently twice their natural
tie, and which they were brandishing
from side to side. They were evil
IDENTIFY enraged, though at what Louis
could not conceive. He felt appre-
hensive, however, and increased his
speed. The lions uttered tremen-
dous caterwaul and trotted q good
gait after him. "The brutes!" ejacu-
lated Louis. Turning, he
skated q few yards toward them to
steady his aim and fired his revolver
at the nearest. The distance was too
great. The bullets either fell short or
went to one side, all except the last
one, which struck the immense cat
squarely in the side, tearing his skin,
but not Gripping him in the least. The
beasts had checked themselves when
Louis turned, and seemed bewildered
by the reports OF the revolver. The
wounded lion, however, snapped at
his side once Or twice, then seeming to
divine whence came the wound, gave
fearful yell, and, followed by the
others, made at full speed after Louis,
who was now striking out for home
with all his might. He bent over his
skates and did his uttermost. But
on O. straight reach the beasts gained
on him, although they could not turn
in the sharp bends of the river like
the skates. Nevertheless they gained
time, and Louis was constrained to
drop marten. on the ice, hoping
thereby to gain time. 1t did indeed
assist, as the brutes did their best to
stop. The momentum had carried
them so far beyond the game that in
stead of going back they continued
the pursuit. The result seriously
alarmed the young man, who now
dropped all his game, but the lions
were determined not to be baked of
their prey. The revolver in its.holster
Hopping against his thigh impeded
Louis somewhat, and he unbuckled
the belt and dropped it on the ice. All
this assisted and his hopes arose. He
was now less than two miles.from the
dugout. He had passed the rough
rapids safely, over which the lions
Of o1o1 ~ Dad
they gathered themselves up with sur
prising quickness. 1t wasnot long be-
fore Louis heard their amazing leaps
with fearful distinctness. Then he
commenced a series of maneuvers on
which his very life depended. Skating
with all his power along one shore, he
would suddenly turn and shoot over
to the other bank, while the lions, un-
able to check themselves or turn,
would rake themselves along the edge
OF the ice, catching at everything with
in reach. He had repeated this move
more than once when the mouth of
Robin Creek came in sight and the
door of the dugout. To the opposite
side of the river he shot for dear life,
the lions now close upon him. Timing
himself with wonderful Judgment he
turned just in the nick of time, leaped
upon the low bank, the momentum
carrying him the half dozen steps to
the door, through which he fell at full
length on the floor.
Bar the door!" he gasped to Ru-
dolf: That young man, though i'm
mediately surprised, cbeyed the COM
mand and dropped the heavy bar in
to it's iestenings. Scarcely was this
accomplished when a heavy body
struck the door with thud that
thoroughly tried it's strength. ANON
emit afterward the creased paper which
served as a window was torn away
from the aperture in the door and the
square, cruel jaws of a mountain lion
were thrust through. Rudolph grasped
the situation, and Selling his carbfne,
discharged the contents full in the saw
age face. 1t was effective. The lion
fell in the struggles of death, but the
opening was filled by second, only to
meet the same fate. The third, which